A Funny Thing About First Impressions
by Fobbs07
Summary: Elizabeth Bennet rose to the top from a lower class family, now working as a CEO at a company she founded. She dedicates her free time to raising money and helping people in need. William Darcy is the CEO of Pemberley International. Elizabeth needs Pemberley's support for her next fundraiser. They meet and their ideas clash. Can they figure out a way to work together?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi guys! This is my first story. The first chapter is quite short... but I plan on making them much longer from now on. This chapter will serve as an introductory chapter so I can get some of your feedback! Thank you and enjoy! :)**

...

Elizabeth Bennet's first thought when she woke up on Monday morning was that today was going to be a good day.

Her second thought was a hasty correction of her first: no, it was not going to be good…it was going to be _fabulous_.

She opened her eyes and a grin slid across her face as she spotted rays of sunlight pushing impatiently through her curtains.

_Excellent_, she thought as she swung her legs over the side of her bed and strode to her window. She opened her curtains and looked out, taking a few moments to admire the view from her penthouse apartment on the 15th floor of her downtown condominium building. The sky was clear and the perfect shade of pink and it was showing signs of being yet another perfect spring day. She grinned again. _Yes, this is definitely going to be a great day._

Elizabeth Bennet did not consider herself to be a particularly optimistic person, in fact, her friends and family often told her she always saw the glass half empty. She, on the other hand, preferred to call herself a realist. She was logical and calculating and made all her decisions based on facts and significant observation. Once she decided on something, there was no going back.

But today – Elizabeth was an optimist. Today, all her hard work was going to pay off. She glanced at the clock: 6:30 am. That gave her plenty of time to prepare herself for brunch with her sister, Jane, followed by her highly anticipated meeting at Pemberley International at 10 o'clock.

In the bathroom, Elizabeth carefully studied herself in the mirror. Her dark brown hair was a mess of curls that made her look positively wild. Her green eyes, however, were full of excitement. She could not believe that this day had finally arrived. Today was going to go down in history for Elizabeth. She was finally going to make a difference. This was what she was born to do.

Elizabeth had always been an ambitious person. Her parents told her from an early age that life could only be enjoyed if you were able to achieve a certain level of independence. She was born in New Jersey and was from a lower class family, so her parents were always struggling to make ends meet. With five daughters, their priority was to give them the best life they possibly could, even if it meant making some sacrifices. As the eldest, Elizabeth and Jane sympathized and never complained. They were very grateful for their parents. The same was not true, however, for their three younger sisters who constantly complained about trivial matters – like wearing Elizabeth or Jane's hand-me-downs, and not getting into the hottest parties at their elitist high school because of their lower social class. Elizabeth was smart, and understood how much her parents struggled. She vowed from a young age to work hard to pay them back for their sacrifices.

Elizabeth knew that the best way to make money was to throw herself into her education – always clambering for the top grades and always getting involved in every extracurricular activity she could find. She was well liked by her friends and peers, even though many were intimidated by her drive and intensity. She was a dedicated friend and a dedicated sister, and this allowed Elizabeth to earn respect wherever she went.

This was how, at 28, Elizabeth was the CEO at Longborne Funds, a company she had started with her sister, Jane, and her best friend Charlotte, five years ago. The company was still relatively small and employed 250 people in Manhattan. They were slowly looking at expanding nationally and then internationally. The company did financial consulting for companies but also had an excellent reputation for its philanthropist values, like providing high-risk families with financial advice and support. Elizabeth had pursued an undergraduate degree in Finance followed by an MBA degree from Columbia, which she pursued part time while building her company.

She had worked years to get where she was – nothing was going to get in her way.

...

William Darcy was having a terrible morning. No, terrible was not the right word for it. It was downright _awful_. It had all started with that dreadful call from his aunt about Georgiana. Then there was that idiot on his bicycle who had clipped him on his way out of his apartment building. Followed by the moron who spilled his coffee all over his – _very_ expensive – suit.

Now, he was stuck talking to this blabbering fool – what was his name again? – Greg? Gianni? He wasn't paying attention. He was grumbling at the fact that he would not be talking to this starry eyed rookie begging him to consider him for a job at his company if he had not been forced to return home to change his suit before going in to the office.

The man standing in front of him had a sheepish look about him – sandy hair and big, innocent blue eyes. William thought he looked a lot like Bambi personified. He would have chuckled if he had not been in such a lousy mood. What was it with these people? Attacking him left and right, begging for jobs. And right outside of his apartment building, for heavens sake. His angry thoughts were interrupted when he realized that the man had stopped talking and was watching him expectantly.

"I'm sorry?" William said, doing his best not to snap at Joe, or was it was Stan? William scowled. _Who cares what his name is?_

"I was just saying that I hope you will consider me, Mr. Darcy," said the young man, quickly, timidly holding out a hand clutching a business card. "I have all the qualifications necessary to succeed in a position at your prestigious company."

"Oh, yes, well… thank you for your interest. I will see what I can do," Will replied, grabbing the card from the man's hand. Without a second look, he turned on his heel and strode purposefully in the direction of his office.

...

"Lizzie!" Jane squealed excitedly as Elizabeth walked into their favorite brunch place next to the office.

"Janey!" Elizabeth exclaimed, wrapping her older sister in a tight hug and sitting down to face her. Their regular orders were ready for them and she gave a quick wave to their friend and waitress, Edna, who was serving coffee at a table a few feet away.

"So, tell me," Jane said as she began to eat. "How nervous are you for this pitch?"

Elizabeth grinned. She adjusted her white, silk blouse and smoothed down her black pencil skirt, "I'm actually a little nervous. Do you think I look okay?"

Jane grimaced in mock surprise. "Wow! Elizabeth Bennet is nervous. I think I need to record this moment and show it to mom and dad later. They will never believe it!"

"You act as if I'm completely incapable of regular human emotions," Lizzie laughed. "I told you Jane, I am _not_ a robot!"

Jane grinned at her sister. "I'm only teasing you. I just love seeing the fearless Lizzie squirm a little bit. And you know that you look amazing, as usual." She paused and gave her a more serious look. "So…Do you want to go through this one more time?"

Lizzie cleared her throat dramatically and put on her most dazzling, professional smile. She reached her hand out across the table toward Jane to shake and began:

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Bingley, my name is Elizabeth Bennet, CEO extraordinaire of Longborne Funds. Please give me lots of money for my wonderful fundraising event that will potentially provide thousands of young women with a second chance at leading a normal life."

"Why, Miss Bennet, I definitely cannot say no to you. You are much too beautiful, much too kind, and so intelligent! How does one million dollars sound?" Jane replied teasingly, in the most masculine voice she could muster.

Lizzie giggled. "No, but in all seriousness, I think I'm ready. This event is going to be huge and I already have plenty of high-level sponsors. I just need Pemberley International to be on that list. That way, I'm guaranteed to have society's best, brightest and richest in attendance."

"Well, mom and dad will certainly be pleased knowing that you're mingling with some of the richest people in the country," Jane said with another easy smile.

"I am only mingling with them because I hope that they will support our initiative. Thousands of women depend on _Women Breaking Boundaries_ every day to help them get back on track."

"We will get their support – with or without Pemberley International. The guest list to the fundraiser is already massive. How many are we expecting this time? Five hundred?"

"Actually, as of this morning, it's closer to seven hundred!" Lizzie told her, not hiding the excitement in her voice. "And I know, but Pemberley International will be the breaking point. If we have them, this whole initiative will really take off."

As Lizzie was talking, Edna approached them with fresh coffee. Edna knew almost everything about Lizzie and Jane's lives. She was like a second mother to them.

Edna was in her late fifties and the single mom of three boys. She had worked at this restaurant almost her entire life. Lizzie thought she was one of the most inspirational women she had ever met. She raised her three sons on her salary as a waitress and never complained. They were all in school, but Edna worried about paying for their education. She knew she would not be able to afford it on her salary and she desperately wanted her sons to be successful. Edna was one of the reasons why Lizzie had started _Women Breaking Boundaries_ as a side project. She wanted to help women like Edna.

"Hey Lizzie," Edna said cheerfully. "Ready for the big day?"

"As ready as I'll ever be!" Lizzie said, giving her a confident smile.

"You will be great. Your event is becoming really popular, I read about it in the newspaper this morning!"

"Yes, I actually interviewed for it a couple of days ago," Lizzie said, doing her best to sound modest. She was really proud of the fundraiser she organized but she wanted it to be perfect, and that stressed her out quite a bit.

"Lizzie is just being modest," Jane said, waving her hand dismissively in front of her sister. "In a month, this event is all Manhattan will be talking about!"

...

Elizabeth was early. She hated it when she was early. She glanced at her watch: 9:30 am. She still had thirty minutes to kill. Her office was twenty blocks away, so there was no point in going there. She cursed under her breath. She should have just gone to the office with Jane first and made some calls.

She stood awkwardly in front of the daunting tower of Pemberley International and looked around, hoping to find something to distract herself for thirty minutes. She finally spotted a newsstand and made her way towards it. At least she could entertain herself while she waited. She browsed through the options and decided to take a look at a fashion magazine. Lizzie was saturated with news and business information, and she really did not feel like stressing herself out more than she already was.

Lizzie took a seat on a nearby bench and started flipping through her magazine. She was so focused on the article about taming wild curls that she barely noticed the commotion happening in front of the newsstand.

A man dressed in rags was timidly standing in front of the newsstand holding out a coffee cup. The owner of the newsstand was shooing him away with his arms. The man, whom Lizzie assumed was homeless, stood resolutely to the spot with his arm stretched out. It seemed as though this did not help his case, because the owner of the newsstand grew more and more agitated and started yelling at the man.

"Get out of here you dirty dog! I already told you, I won't give you any money!"

The homeless man lowered his hand and started coughing violently. For some reason, this angered the newsstand owner even more. Lizzie watched in horror as he strode to the poor man's side and physically pushed him away from his newsstand.

Lizzie jumped to her feet in outrage. She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could, she was interrupted by an impeccably dressed man who had just rounded the corner and had been about to enter the building when he witnessed the newsstand owner push the homeless man to the ground.

"Joe!" The tall man exclaimed in shock. "What on earth are you doing?"

The newsstand owner – Joe – looked up guiltily and protested, "He would not get out of the way, he was harassing me for money! I swear it's his fault, Mr. Darcy!"

To Lizzie's surprise, the man, whom Lizzie could not help noticing was shockingly handsome, scowled and knelt next to the man on the ground who by now, had recovered from his coughing fit. The handsome man reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, grabbed several bills and handed them to the man.

"Here you go," the man said gently. "This should last you a little while."

The homeless man on the ground nodded thankfully and whispered something that Lizzie could not hear.

The man, who was presumably named Mr. Darcy, stood up and turned to the newsstand owner with a glare that could stop an army. The newsstand owner glared back at him and withdrew behind his stand, pretending to be occupied with re-arranging his magazines.

Lizzie was intrigued, and at this point, had approached the newsstand and was standing only a few feet away from the kind, handsome stranger. As he turned around to make his way into the building, his eyes caught hers. Lizzie immediately noticed that they were the most amazing shade of blue, framed with long eyelashes. His hair was dark, almost black, and curled slightly around his ears. He had a jaw that was probably chiseled by the Greek gods and lips that she could drown in. She had been right on her first assessment of the man: he was probably the most attractive man she had ever seen.

There was a flicker of something in his eyes as they trailed over her own – was it curiosity? The moment was fleeting, because when Lizzie blinked, he had already disappeared into the building.

Lizzie must have been standing in a daze for a while, because it took the sound of a car horn to snap her out of it. She glanced at her watch: 10:01 a.m.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. SHIT._ She cursed as she bolted into the building. _Handsome men should be illegal. What an inconvenient time to be distracted._

...

William Darcy's morning had not improved as he had hoped it would. In fact, it had gotten worse. His 9 a.m. client meeting had been a complete waste of his time. How people could be so incompetent, he had no idea. Will knew that, in business, some people got to the top with hard work, and some people just knew someone at the top. He hated people who did not deserve to be where they were.

He sighed and rubbed his temples with his fingers. It was almost 10 o'clock and he already felt a devastating headache coming along. His driver, Roger, looked at him in his rearview mirror and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

William rolled his eyes good-naturedly and waved his hand dismissively, not wishing to talk. He closed his eyes and let himself get lost in his thoughts. Georgiana was not doing well. He had put her in the care of his housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, whom he trusted like he trusted his own mother. His aunt Catherine, who did not approve of Mrs. Reynolds, had called him this morning to try to convince him, yet again, to have Georgiana put in her care. William would never do that to his sister, his aunt was a horrible person. The only reason why he put up with her was out of respect of his late mother. William did not have a lot of family left, and he did not want to burn bridges with his aunt.

William opened his eyes again and noticed that they were stuck in traffic. He looked around and saw that he was only a block from the office.

"I'll get out here, Roger. I'll see you at noon," he told his driver as he opened the car door and stepped out into the warm, spring air.

The fresh air softened his scowl a little bit, and he walked quickly to his office building. As he approached, he noticed with horror that Joe, the good-for-nothing newsstand owner, had pushed a helpless man to the ground.

He immediately intervened: "Joe! What on earth are you doing?"

"He would not get out of the way, he was harassing me for money! I swear it's his fault, Mr. Darcy!"

The guilty look on Joe's face did not fool Will Darcy. He shook his head and knelt beside the man, who looked like he had just seen a ghost.

Will felt a rush of sympathy for the man and immediately pulled out his wallet, giving him at least 50$. "Here you go, this should last you a little while."

Will stood up to glare at Joe and decided that there was no point in wasting his time trying to lecture him. Will turned around to walk into his building when he noticed a woman standing right next to him. He looked up and found himself looking into the most dazzling green eyes imaginable. She was staring at him with a strange expression in her eyes – was it confusion? Admiration? Shock?

Suddenly, Will Darcy found himself desperately wanting to know what she was feeling. Her eyes were so intriguing. He felt like he had been staring at her for ages, but the moment must have been brief because when she blinked, he rushed back down to earth and, not wanting to linger inappropriately, strode into his building without a backwards glance.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for the feedback! The Bennets will be introduced in later chapters. Let me know what you think of this chapter :)**

**...**

"So, as you can see, Mr. Bingley, investing in our event will not only benefit society as a whole, but it will also provide Pemberley Interational with excellent visibility. Being associated with an organization like this one will definitely increase the amount of investors interested in your company," Lizzie said as she switched slides on her presentation.

Mr. Charles Bingley smiled and nodded from his seat a few feet away. They were in a boardroom in Pemberley tower. Bingley was the CFO of Pemberley Interational and he was also the key to getting sponsorship for Lizzie's fundraiser. Lizzie had liked him as soon as she had bolted onto the 20th floor of the building, apologizing profusely for being a whole three minutes late. He had smiled easily at her and teasingly assured her that it was not a big deal. Charles Bingley seemed to be the kind of person who felt completely relaxed in anyone's company. Lizzie had immediately felt at ease and was able to give her presentation with the confidence and enthusiasm that would surely sell her idea.

"_Women Without Boundaries_ is an organization that will help those in need for the years to come, and I hope you will consider investing in this fundraiser," Lizzie concluded with a smile, ending her slideshow and turning to Mr. Bingley to gage his reaction.

"Well Miss Bennet, you have certainly given me a lot to think about," he said, getting up from his chair and collecting the papers he had been taking notes on in front of him. "I am most definitely interested in sponsoring your event. I really believe that with the amount of money we accumulate as corporate organizations, we should at least try to do some good in the world."

"I completely agree, Mr. Bingley," Elizabeth said as she watched him put his papers under his arm and straighten to look at her. "This is exactly the kind of thing Longborne Funds strives to prioritize. We really believe that it's in our hands to make a difference."

"Yes, I have heard great things about your company," he said with another smile. He smiled almost as much as Jane, Elizabeth mused silently.

He stuck out his hand for a handshake. "There are just a few things I have to finalize before I can officially commit to sponsorship, but things are definitely looking good. I will contact you by tomorrow with the details."

"That's great! Thank you so much!" Elizabeth exclaimed, stopping herself from jumping up and down in excitement, which would hardly be professional.

"It's my pleasure, and I'm really looking forward to attending the fundraiser. I hear that it's shaping up to be _the_ event of the spring!"

"I hope it will be, there is still a little under a month to go," Elizabeth said as she slipped her laptop into her bag and adjusted it on her shoulder. "There is still a lot of planning to do. Please feel free to bring as many people from Pemberley as you want."

"Definitely, I plan on bringing the executive staff at the very least," he said, as they exited the boardroom and made their way towards the elevators. "As you already pointed out, it's very important for us to network with the attendees."

Elizabeth nodded and smiled at him again as they reached the elevator. "I'll wait for your call. Thank you again, and sorry again about being a little late."

He chuckled and Elizabeth, who was feeling much less stressed than she was a couple of hours ago, let herself notice how handsome he was. He had friendly blue eyes and dark blonde hair. He reminded her a lot of Jane, which explained why she felt so comfortable around him.

"Trust me, Miss Bennet," he said, still chuckling. "In this business, three minutes is hardly considered late. I'm sure you know enough about the corporate world that everyone has a different definition of what 'on time' is."

She grinned at him and nodded sheepishly. The sound of the elevator doors opening signaled that it was time for her to leave. She thanked him again and giving him a quick wave, stepped into the elevator to make her way back to her office.

...

Will was waiting in his car across the street from Pemberley International at noon, waiting for Charles to meet him for lunch. He was looking forward to talking to his friend and most trusted colleague after the lousy morning he had.

Will thought back to his call with his aunt Catherine for the hundredth time since he had received it. Is she right in wanting to move Georgiana back to New York? Georgiana was in a vulnerable place right now. She had definitely improved in the last year but at 21, she still had a lot of maturing to do. Will hardly blamed her, after what had happened. He sighed at the thought. No, he was going to stand by his decision to have Mrs. Reynolds take care of her for the time being. She was at their apartment in Boston, far away from New York, and that's how it was going to be for now.

Will glanced up and looked across the street waiting to spot Charles. Of course he was late, he though with a smirk. Ever since they had met at Harvard, Will had never been able to understand how Charles could have no clear concept of time. Charles was easy-going and never stressed about anything, which was why they got along so well; Will taught Charles how to stay disciplined and on track, and in turn, Charles taught Will to… well, have fun… when he could.

Will was still smirking when he caught site of someone familiar exiting his building. It was _her_, he noticed with a start, it was that woman from the newsstand with the hypnotizing green eyes. She paused for a moment to pull out her phone and began texting with a huge grin on her face. Will found himself, yet again, trying to guess what she was thinking. What was she grinning about? Why had she been in his building? Did she work there? Should he get out and go ask her?

He frowned. Why did he care? He didn't even know this woman. Also, it would be way too creepy if he were to approach her from out of nowhere. Will was not that kind of guy.

He watched as she placed her phone back into her bag and began walking down the street away from the building. She was still grinning. Will stared after her until she rounded a corner and disappeared from his sight. He felt a mixture of annoyance and disappointment as he turned his gaze back on the entrance to the building to wait for Charles.

...

It was Friday night and Jane, Charlotte and Elizabeth were celebrating. They were in a crowded bar in the heart of Manhattan. The music was blaring and the alcohol was flowing. Charles Bingley had called Elizabeth earlier in the week as promised to confirm that Pemberley International was going to sponsor the event with $50,000 and he was going to throw in a few prizes for the raffles as well. Life was good for the three founders of Longborne Funds.

"You did it, Lizzie!" Charlotte shouted over the music for the hundredth time that week.

"No, Charlotte, _we_ did it. You, Jane and I," Lizzie reminded her, beaming at them with affection.

"This is amazing," Jane said, shaking her head disbelievingly. "This is going to be huge! We will be the most talked about event in the whole city! Maybe even the country!"

"Please don't stress me out more than I already am!" Elizabeth said with frustration. "There's already so much pressure to make this a successful."

"Okay Lizzie, no more talk about work then," Charlotte said as she glanced around the bar. "I think it's time we look for our future husbands!"

Elizabeth and Jane smirked at each other. Charlotte was always looking for her future husband. At 34 years old, Charlotte actively practiced calling herself an old maid. Elizabeth liked to remind her that they were in the 21st century and marriage and having children were not really a necessity of life for women.

Elizabeth never really thought about marriage. Sure, she had her share of boyfriends over the years, but she never felt strongly enough about anyone to consider taking such a huge step. Elizabeth had known for as long as she could remember that only the very deepest love would convince her into something like marriage. She wasn't holding her breath though. Elizabeth had a hard time meeting men she was able to connect with. She found the men she met dull and lethargic, with no real drive or ambition. A lot of them wished to lead a life of white picket fences in the suburbs, with wives to take care of them as they watched Sunday afternoon football. Elizabeth had nothing against that lifestyle if that was what the person wanted, but it was not something she wanted for herself. Lizzie was used to a fast-paced lifestyle, and she needed a man who would understand that.

"What happened to the, I quote: 'future Mr. Charlotte Lucas', you met last week when we went for drinks?" Jane asked Charlotte, interrupting Elizabeth's reverie.

"Oh, he was a total mama's boy," Charlotte said, her eyes still trailing over the crowd. "I'm serious, we were in the middle of dinner and he took a call from his mother because he said that if he didn't answer her calls she would panic and call all his friends just so she knew where he was."

Jane and Lizzie burst out laughing. "Come on, that's sweet! A man who is close with his family is always a good thing," Jane offered.

"The man is 36 years old!" Charlotte objected. "And besides, he had a unibrow."

"Well, in that case, we complete support your decision to drop him," Elizabeth said with a laugh. "That is unforgivable!"

Charlotte grinned at her. "I know, right? It's the only thing I was able to focus on during our whole dinner. Anyway, it's okay, because I am hoping to meet many eligible young men at our fundraiser."

"You mean _rich _young men," Jane corrected her teasingly.

"No, Jane," Charlotte said rolling her eyes. "I'm already rich enough as it is. But of course, a villa in the Caribbean would be nice…"

Elizabeth laughed at her friend. She knew Charlotte was only half-joking. Charlotte was not a romantic person and looked at marriage more as a legally binding arrangement. Her goal was to marry someone above her own wealth.

"On that note," Elizabeth said, pretending to scoff at Charlotte. "I need another drink."

She got up and adjusted her favorite, deep green dress, which had started riding up her thighs. Elizabeth made her way to the bar and got a few smiles along the way from some men. She knew she looked good tonight. When Elizabeth was in a good mood, she took more time to make herself look presentable. She had actually managed to make her curls look smooth and tamed and they were tied back from her face, allowing her green eyes to shine.

The bar was crowded and people had started dancing. Elizabeth was weaving her way through the dance floor, avoiding being bumped into by some particularly energetic dancers. She had finally made her way to the edge of the bar, when she collided with hard wall.

"Ouch!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she felt some liquid spill onto her arm.

"Oh! Sorry about that," a deep voice replied, making her look up into a very familiar pair of deep blue eyes. Familiar?

His eyes met her's and he looked startled. She finally got a good look at his face and realized this was the man from the newsstand. Without warning, her heart started pounding wildly in her chest. He was as handsome as she remembered; he was dressed in dark grey suit pants and a crisp white shirt. He was not wearing a blazer or a tie and she could see the definition of his muscles under his shirt. Elizabeth tore her eyes away from his chest and looked back into his eyes and tried to compose herself.

"Don't worry about it, it's quite crowded in here," she said, averting her eyes from his intense gaze. She busied herself with wiping her arm off quickly and inspecting her dress for stains.

"Sorry," he said again. Was she imagining it or did his voice sound strained? "Did I spill any on your dress?"

She looked up again and smiled at him. "No, I don't think so. Don't worry about it."

There was an awkward pause as they stared at each other. His eyes were definitely hypnotizing.

"Well, sorry about that! Bye!" Elizabeth said quickly, feeling her cheeks flush under his stare. She certainly was not going to stand around with this unbelievably attractive man and continue to make a fool of herself. She pushed past him and continued making her way to the bar.

"Wait!" He said quickly, causing a surprised Elizabeth to turn around and look at him. "Can I buy you a drink? You know, to apologize for spilling mine on you?"

Was he blushing? Elizabeth smirked a little bit in spite of herself.

"I think I'm the one who should probably buy you a drink, since my clumsiness seems to have left you empty handed," Elizabeth replied with an easy smile.

He looked down at his –now empty- glass and smiled at her sheepishly. "No, don't worry about it. I'll get one for both of us. What do you say?"

Elizabeth was opening her mouth to accept when several things happened: someone bumped into her and sent her flying right back onto the dance floor out of sight of the man with dreamy blue eyes. Then, somehow, Jane and Charlotte were next to her, grabbing her arms and dragging her out the bar.

"What are you doing?" Elizabeth protested as she was being led – no, dragged - toward the exit.

"He's here! The mama's boy with the unibrow!" Charlotte yelled in her ear, with a crazed look in her eye.

"So?!" Elizabeth cried in frustration.

"He saw Charlotte and came up to her and started asking why she had not returned his calls, and then he started begging her to go on another date with him," Jane explained matter-of-factly, as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

"We need to get out of here!" Charlotte said, as she pushed open the door into the late-night spring air.

"But I was just getting myself a drink! Guys!" Elizabeth whined.

"You can have one at my apartment! Let's just go!" Charlotte said.

Jane looked at Elizabeth apologetically. Elizabeth sighed as she looked back at the entrance to the bar to see if he had followed her. He was nowhere to be seen.

_Well_, Elizabeth thought to herself, _I'm sure nothing would have come out of that anyway. _

But Elizabeth still could not help but feel a stab of disappointment.

...

He had missed his chance. Again. Will looked around the bar to try and spot her, but it was like she had disappeared into thin air.

He groaned. He had not believed his luck when he realized that the woman who had bumped into was the same one he had seen earlier this week. William Darcy was rarely at a loss for words, but when he had laid eyes on her, his tongue had almost shrivelled up and he could not for the life of him think of anything intelligent to say to her.

She was gorgeous; there was no denying that. Her eyes were even greener than he remembered, no doubt made greener by the amazing green dress she was wearing. Darcy noticed her curvaceous figure and had to control the rising heat in his chest while he struggled to keep his expression neutral.

He had congratulated himself on offering to buy her a drink – she had looked like she was about to accept when that insufferable, drunk moron bashed into her and sent her back into the crowd and out of his sight.

He cursed under his breath and looked around again. He did a quick turn about the bar and didn't see her. Maybe he had scared her off. He hadn't really said much to her except stared at her. Maybe he had come off as creepy? It didn't matter anyway, he had missed his chance. He would probably never see her again.

He glanced back at his table where his clients – now drunk – were laughing loudly and hitting on a group of women nearby. He rolled his eyes. Some days, he really hated his job.


	3. Chapter 3

"Darcy! Just the person I was looking for," Charles Bingley exclaimed as he strode into Will's office. Will was huddled over his desk, pouring over the stack of papers in front of him.

"Charles, not now, I'm in the middle of coming up with a plan of action for this merger meeting," Darcy said, without looking up from his work.

Charles ignored him and sat across from Will's desk. "Well, I technically have come here to discuss business," he said with a smile.

Will looked up at Charles and sighed. He leaned back in his chair and gave Charles his full attention. "What is it?"

"Well, as you know, Pemberley is sponsoring that fundraiser next week that everyone is talking about…"

"What fundraiser?" Will asked with a bit of annoyance. Will trusted Charles as the company's CFO but when he starting talking about things like charities and fundraisers, Will got skeptical.

Charles rolled his eyes. "You know, the fundraiser I told you about a few weeks ago? _Women Without Boundaries_?"

Will mimicked Charles and rolled his eyes in response. "Sounds amazing," he said sarcastically. "You know that you're the one responsible for the finances in this company, what say could I possibly have in this?"

Charles barked with laughter. "You are right, Darcy. But as CEO of Pemberley International, I had hoped you would at least show some interest in where your money is going."

"I trust you," Darcy said dismissively as he turned back to his screen.

"As I was saying," Charles said, ignoring Will. "We are sponsoring the event and I have offered to give away some prizes for the raffle. I was thinking of providing a free weekend trip to Netherfield Resort for the 10th anniversary party."

"Anniversary party?" Darcy asked absentmindedly as he typed away on his computer.

"Come on Will!" Charles exclaimed in frustration. "Don't you ever listen to anything I say?"

"Only when you're not going on about another party or function," Will said as he typed, rolling his eyes again for good measure.

Charles groaned and got up to stand by the window. He was fuming.

"Okay, okay," Will said, leaning back in his chair and throwing his hands up in defeat. "Please explain."

Charles turned to him with a smile. He never stayed angry for long. "As you know, my family owns Netherfield Resort, and we have organized a huge celebration for the tenth anniversary. You should have received the invite," he pointed out.

"Oh…yes, the invite," Will said uncertainly. "I'll have to search my inbox for that one."

Charles sighed. "Anyway, I'm going to offer a trip there as a raffle prize for the fundraiser, which you should have also gotten an invite for, by the way"

"I'll have to search for that one too," Will said with a sheepish grin. It's not that Will didn't regularly check his e-mails. It was just that as soon as he saw an invite to another social event in his inbox, he avoided it like the plague. Will Darcy was not one for social events.

"You are terrible, Darcy," Charles said good-naturedly. "So, what do you think?"

"It sounds like a good idea," Will said simply. "Is that all?"

"You are a lousy conversationalist, you know that Will?" Charles said teasingly. "But yes, that's all. Check the invite for the fundraiser. It's in a week. And you have to be there. No excuses."

Will waved Charles away as he opened his inbox to search for the invitation. Sure enough, there it was: _Women Without Boundaries. _It was a fundraiser to help women in need and it was taking place at one of the most prestigious hotels in the city.

Will hated fundraisers. He thought they were a complete waste of time. But, he _was_ the CEO and he had to be there. Will closed the invitation on his screen and turned his attention back to his work – there was still a lot of work to do before his meeting.

…

"Lizzie, darling!" Her mother's voice rang through the speakerphone as Lizzie bustled around her apartment, cleaning up the take-out containers from when Jane and Charlotte were over earlier.

"Hi, mom! How is everything? Where is dad?" Lizzie asked.

"I'm right here, Lizzie-Bear," her father's voice said. "Your mother has been driving me up the wall…ouch!"

Lizzie smiled as she pictured her mother swat her father across the shoulder.

"I have not, I'm just very excited for this fundraiser of yours! We are so proud of you," her mother gushed. "Is Jane there?"

"Thanks mom. And no, Jane left earlier. Are you guys all settled to come on Saturday?"

Her parents and three younger sisters were coming to the fundraiser to support Lizzie and Jane. She knew that they were bustling with excitement at the thought of spending an evening with New York's finest. They were going to be staying at Jane and Charlotte's apartment, which was much bigger than Lizzie's.

Lizzie had moved to this apartment shortly after graduation. Jane had gone to school in Chicago, and moved to the city only when they started Longborne Funds together. Lizzie's apartment was large but was only a one-bedroom, and she was completely in love with it, which was why she decided not move in with Charlotte and Jane. They had moved in to another apartment across the street from her apartment building. Lizzie preferred living on her own, and having them so close made their arrangement perfect.

"Yes, the girls and I bought new dresses!" Her mother was saying excitedly. "Thank you so much for transferring us that money, darling."

Lizzie cringed. She didn't like it when her mother talking about money. She didn't want her parents thanking her for the money she provided them when they needed it. It was the least she could do for all the sacrifices they had made for her and her sisters.

"Don't worry about it, mom," Lizzie said quickly. "I need you all looking your best!"

"Lizzie, you might have to send a little more money," her father piped up. "Your mother and sisters have barely left a penny for a new outfit for me…ouch! Stop abusing me, woman!"

Lizzie laughed. She missed her parents a lot. Even though they lived in New Jersey and not far from her, she rarely got a chance to meet them. She was always busy with either work or her fundraising activities.

"Dad, I know you have that very nice suit you wore to your anniversary party a few months ago," Lizzie said affectionately.

"What, I don't get to choose a new outfit for every event? This is sexism at its finest!" Her father protested, with mock-horror.

Lizzie grinned as she cleaned up the rest of the mess in her kitchen. "How are the girls?"

"They're fine," her mother said. "Lydia is studying for her finals but she is struggling. Mary and Kitty are both still working late shifts at the hospital."

Mary, 25 and Kitty, 24 were both nurses at a hospital in New Jersey. They worked really long hours, but Elizabeth was proud of them. Lydia, at 23, was still in college trying to finish her courses. She had a penchant for wild college parties and she always seemed on the verge of dropping out. Elizabeth worried about her a lot and prayed that she would at least make it far enough to get her degree.

"That's great, mom. I miss you guys, I'm so excited to see you," Elizabeth said with genuine affection.

"We are too, sweetie!" Her dad said. "Oh, Mary and Kitty are here, we have to go. But we will see you on Saturday"

She sighed as she hung up the phone. She sat down in her living room with her laptop. The fundraiser was only a few days away, and she still had some final details to take care of. The guest list was officially 750 people long, which meant that just the cost of entry would provide her organization with $750,000. Elizabeth's stomach fluttered with anticipation. She knew that everything was falling into place – this was going to be the best night of her life.

…

Elizabeth, Jane and Charlotte were not vain people. They were aware that they were attractive, but they were not the type of people to define themselves by the way they looked. At 30 years old, Jane was the most beautiful of all the three. She was the very definition of beauty: perfect blue eyes, straight, blonde hair and the thin frame of a model. The best part about Jane, though, was that she didn't even know the effect she had on men. She was sweet and kind and extremely intelligent. She was uncomfortable with attention even though it was showered on her everywhere she went.

Elizabeth was the opposite of Jane; she had dark brown, curly hair and green eyes. They were about the same height but Elizabeth was on the curvier side. Jane always told Elizabeth she envied her curves, while Elizabeth envied Jane's straight frame. Elizabeth worked hard to keep herself in shape, and spent her free time at the squash courts at the gym next to her apartment with Charlotte.

Charlotte was dark-haired like Elizabeth and had intelligent, hazel brown eyes. She was slightly shorter than Jane and Elizabeth and her hair was cut to her chin in a bob cut. She had a strong, confident voice and was also almost as thin as Jane.

The three girls were far from vain, but tonight was their night. They had made sure that they looked their absolute best. All three of them had their dresses custom made by some of the best designers in New York.

"How do you think we look?" Elizabeth whispered nervously to Jane and Charlotte as they watched the first of their guests walk into the hotel.

Elizabeth asked the question knowing perfectly well that they looked like they fit in with their glamorous guests. Elizabeth's dress fit her like a second skin. It was a deep-emerald strapless dress with gold trim, which hugged her body all the way to her knees. The material shimmered when she turned in the light. Her curly hair was pulled up behind her head with a few curls framing her face. Jane was wearing a similar style, strapless dress but in red which complemented her blond hair perfectly. Charlotte was in an ankle-length blue gown that fell elegantly off one shoulder, her brown hair straight and tamed, perfectly framing her face.

"I think we look hot," Charlotte said simply. "Don't worry, Lizzie. This night is going to be a huge success."

"Lizzie, you look amazing," Jane said, squeezing her hand. "Every man who has walked in so far has stared at you."

Lizzie squeezed Jane's hand back. "No, Jane, I'm pretty sure they were looking at you."

"Jane, I think we should probably go in to the dining room and make sure everything is under control," Charlotte said. "Lizzie, will you stay here and make sure registration goes well?"

Lizzie nodded nervously as she watched the guests file in toward reception where volunteers were taking down their names. Jane and Charlotte disappeared into the dining room and Lizzie wandered around the reception, trying very hard to refrain from biting her nails. Lizzie's fluttering stomach was making her feel nauseous. She was unbelievably nervous. She needed to take a deep breath before she could face her guests.

Lizzie moved away from the registration table and turned a corner to find a secluded spot where she could gather her nerves. She found a space behind the glamorous, spiraling staircase and took a few deep breaths. When she felt composed, she stepped out and turned back to the registration table.

What she saw stopped her in her tracks. That guy! It was him! The man from the newsstand and the one from the bar! He was standing at the registration table with his back half-turned to her. He noticed that he was standing beside Mr. Bingley and another man. How was this even possible?

Elizabeth started sweating and her heart started pounding. _Great, I'm going to have a panic attack,_ she thought to herself. She took a few breaths and decided that as her biggest sponsor, she would have to approach Mr. Bingley sooner or later. She would do her best to avoid mystery man's amazing blue eyes.

Their backs were still turned to her as she approached them from behind. She walked slowly and caught some of their conversation:

"Darcy, stop being so damn disagreeable. You knew perfectly well what this fundraiser is for," Bingley was saying with annoyance.

"I know what it's for, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with it," Darcy was saying, in a haughty tone. Elizabeth stopped in her tracks. Had she heard him correctly?

"How could you possible not agree with it?" The third man, a handsome redhead, exclaimed.

"Well, if I were not CEO, and instead had Charles' job here, I would give them the money solely for the purpose of publicity that it will provide our company with, but not for any other reason," Darcy said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Elizabeth felt like the world was crashing down on her. He was the CEO of Pemberley International? It all made sense now. She knew his name had sounded familiar. But really, this could not be the same man she had met at the newsstand and at the bar? The man she had seen had given a helpless man his money out of the kindness of his heart. How could her first impression of him been so completely wrong? Her first impressions were never wrong!

"So, you would not give the money because you believed in the initiative?" Charles asked.

"Definitely not. People who organize these events are crooks," he said, with confidence. "How well documented is their spending? How do we know that the money does not go directly into their pockets? And even if that's not the case, the organizers are usually bored housewives who have nothing better to do with their time and think that fundraising will help them mingle with people of a higher social class."

"I assure you that I researched this organization extensively and their finances are made public for the world to see. The money goes where they say it goes," Charles said defensively. "And the organizers of this event are very impressive people-"

"Whatever you say, Charles," Darcy said dismissively, interrupting him mid-speech. "Like I said, I'm here to give Pemberley International the publicity it deserves. As for the fundraiser itself, well… let's just say I don't have a high opinion of neither the cause nor the organizers."

Elizabeth did not want to hear anymore. At this point, she was standing a few feet away from them. She cleared her throat and three heads snapped toward her. She smiled in spite of what she just heard. She found herself wishing she had a camera to capture the look on their faces. Charles looked mortified. Darcy looked like his eyes had popped out of his head, and their friend, well he was just smiling at her, eyeing her up and down.

"Miss Bennet!" Charles exclaimed, when he had finally recovered from his shock.

"Mr. Bingley," Elizabeth smiled, shaking his hand. "I'm so glad to see you could make it."

She took a look at Darcy, who was staring at her in bewilderment. Elizabeth would have burst out laughing if she wasn't so angry. He looked like he had seen a ghost. She tore his gaze away from him and turned her attention back to Mr. Bingley.

"We would not miss it for the world! We haven't even entered the dining room yet and I can already tell it's going to be impressive," he said. "May I introduce you to my colleagues? This is William Darcy, CEO of Pemberley and this is Richard Fitzwilliam, COO. Gentlemen, this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet, organizer of this event and CEO of Longborne Funds."

Richard Fitzwilliam stepped forward and smiled at her. "It's a pleasure, Miss Bennet. I have heard great things about Longborne Funds, you have certainly created something amazing."

"Thank you, Mr. Fitzwilliam. That's very kind of you to say," Elizabeth said, smiling politely.

"Miss Bennet," Mr. Darcy finally said. "Congratulations on this amazing accomplishment. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Elizabeth turned to him and did not even bother hiding the coldness in her expression. He had extended his hand for her to shake and she accepted it, squeezing harder than she normally would have. She felt a strange sensation crawl up her arm. _Perhaps it was a growing feeling of hatred_, she mused. He looked down at their hands in bewilderment, as if he had felt it too. She let go immediately.

"Thank you," she said curtly, making sure to make it clear that _she_ was not pleased to meet _him_. "And thank you for Pemberley's sponsorship. It is much appreciated. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a few final things to tend to."

She smiled at Richard and Charles, and without another look at Mr. William Darcy, she turned on her heel and walked into the dining room.

…

"Ooof, did you feel that?" Richard said, looking around in mock-horror. "It suddenly got cold in here."

Will barely heard him. He was still trying to come to terms with what had just happened. Elizabeth Bennet. That was her name. Elizabeth Bennet of Longborne Funds. He had read about her. Elizabeth Bennet was the organizer of this event? Elizabeth Bennet was the one who he had seen outside his office building and the one who he had spilled his drink on? Elizabeth Bennet was the goddess with the sparkling green eyes? Goddess was certainly an accurate description.

"Darcy, are you alright?" Charles was saying.

"Hmm? Yes, why?" Darcy replied, snapping out of it momentarily to look at his friend.

"Well, Elizabeth Bennet looked like she was ready to tear you apart with her fingers. I think she heard you, you moron," Charles said with annoyance as they finally approached the table and gave their names for registration. He hated giving people bad impressions.

"She heard me say what?" Will asked, still dazed.

"Good God, Will," Richard laughed, slapping him on the shoulder. "Snap out of it! I know she is beautiful but there's hardly any point in letting your thoughts wander there. I think she heard your little speech about fundraisers and their organizers! She must hate your guts now."

The reality of it suddenly came crashing down on him. Oh shit. She had heard him. He thought back over the last couple of minutes. He had been too shocked and distracted to fully understand the magnitude of the situation. He had been staring at her beauty and Charles had mentioned her name and then 'CEO' and 'organizer' and Darcy had nearly lost his mind. He thought back to her expression when she addressed him, he had seen fire in her eyes. He had been mesmerized by the passion in her expression and had completely missed the fact that she sounded completely pissed off when she spoke to him.

"Oh God…" Will said, before recovering himself and trying to maintain his neutral expression. He squared his shoulders and turned to walk toward the dining room. "Well, I stand by what I say, Richard. Just because she is an exception, it doesn't mean I will change my opinion on the matter."

Charles and Richard stared after him in disbelief. They honestly could not believe how pig headed William Darcy could be sometimes. They looked at each other and, shrugging in defeat, followed him into the dining room.


	4. Chapter 4

Elizabeth was too busy to remember Will Darcy or the hurtful words he had said. She was not one to dwell on people who were not worth her time and energy. She was too focused on making sure her event was running smoothly.

Most of the guests had filed into the dining hall at this point and had taken their places at their respective tables. The band was playing a soft jazz number in the background and Elizabeth turned her attention to the next task at hand: giving an opening speech with Jane and Charlotte.

Elizabeth was a good public speaker and audiences did not normally frighten her, but the scale of this event was one that she was not used to. She couldn't help but feel jittery about it.

"Lizzie! You're pacing, that's never a good sign!" She heard a familiar voice call to her. She looked up and saw her mother and father beaming at her.

"Mom! Dad!" Lizzie exclaimed, rushing toward them and giving them a hug. "I'm so happy you're here!"

"We wouldn't miss it for the world, darling," her father said, his eyes flashing with pride.

"Lizzie, your guest list is impressive," her mother said, lowering her voice excitedly. "I can't believe the Trumps are here, too."

"Mom, please, no celebrity talk tonight!"

"Yes, Fran, no asking for autographs. Remember what we discussed in the car," her father chided.

"Oh, please shut up, the both of you," her mother said, scanning the crowd for more celebrities. "My daughters organized this event, I can do what I want!"

"I think I see Jane," her father said, rolling his eyes at Lizzie. "I'll go say hi."

"Lizzie, in all seriousness, I'm very proud of you," her mother said after her father walked away to find Jane, her eyes still scanning the room. "Oh, is that William Darcy?! He looks even better than he does in the photos!"

Lizzie snapped her head around to where her mother was looking. Sure enough, there he was – and staring right at them. When their eyes met, he immediately averted his gaze. Lizzie got that confusing, crawling feeling in her stomach again.

"Mom," Lizzie hissed. "How do you know William Darcy? And stop staring!"

"He's staring back," she huffed, turning her attention back to her daughter. "And everyone knows William Darcy. Don't you ever read the gossip columns? There was some nasty business with his sister…"

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "No, I do not read the gossip columns. And why is he in them anyway? He's not a celebrity, he just runs a business."

"Oh Lizzie," her mother chuckled, like it was some private joke. "Don't you know about the Darcy family? I thought you were up to date with world events! They not only own Pemberley International, but they are practically royalty!"

"I would hardly file this information under 'world events'. Money does not make you a celebrity…" Lizzie said bitterly. _It apparently makes you an asshole,_ she thought to herself.

Her gaze drifted back to Darcy's table. He was now talking to someone beside him. A smile graced his features and Elizabeth noticed he had dimples. Lizzie groaned. Why were the gorgeous ones assholes? Royalty? She could have scoffed. People who used their money to achieve social recognition as a celebrity made her sick.

"Oh, look, Jane is on the stage!" Her mother said, suddenly. "Shouldn't you be up there as well?"

"Yes! I have to give the opening speech," she said, again forgetting about Will Darcy as her stomach erupted into another bout of nervous flutters. She gave her mother a quick kiss and walked toward the stage.

…

No matter how hard he tried, Will Darcy could not focus on anything else besides Elizabeth Bennet. His eyes followed her every movement about the room. He was fascinated by the way her face lit up when she smiled, or the way she looked when she was in deep conversation, or how her forehead had wrinkled in that adorable way when she had been pacing beside the stage.

As soon as he had sat down at his table, Will had pulled out his phone and done a quick google search on Elizabeth Bennet. He had already read a couple of articles about her company and how much they were involved in the community, but he wanted to know more about _her_. He had found an article profiling her easily enough. She was 28 and from New Jersey, she had a very impressive educational background, and was obviously very interested in giving back to the community. What he was not expecting, however, was to learn that she was from a very low class family. Will had sat back in his chair after reading that information with a sigh of disappointment. Her family was unknown and unconnected. That would not do well for him.

He had looked up and scanned the room for her again after this revelation, and found her talking to an elderly woman. He had watched as the woman's eyes scanned the room and landed on him with a flicker of recognition. _Great_, he thought, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, _another gossip column reader._ But when Elizabeth's gaze followed and her eyes had locked with his, his resolve completely flew out the window. Who cared if she was from a family that nobody knew about? He could stare into those eyes forever.

He averted his gaze quickly, forcing himself to gather his thoughts. Why was he so affected by her? He barely knew her and yet - she was completely magnetic. He felt a pull to her, and he found himself having a very difficult time fighting it.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice announced from the stage. "Welcome to our event in support of _Women Without Boundaries_! Thank you so much for coming and for all your support."

Darcy looked toward the stage and saw Elizabeth standing in front of the microphone with two other smiling women.

"My god!" Charles Bingley exclaimed from beside him. "Who is that beautiful creature?"

"Which one?" Richard replied. "They're all gorgeous!"

"The blonde one!" Charles replied, excitedly. "I have never seen someone so perfect."

Darcy tore his gaze from Elizabeth, who had just introduced the two other women as her partners at Longborne Funds, to look at the blonde. There was no doubt that she was classically beautiful, and definitely Charles' type. He had a thing for blondes, if their last trip to Mexico could be any indication. Yes, there was no doubt she was beautiful, but Darcy's gaze easily drifted back to Elizabeth with her confident, clear voice and he immediately knew that he was in danger of losing himself to her if he didn't do something soon.

…

The night was going exactly according to plan and Elizabeth could not have been happier.

"I'm so happy, Jane," Elizabeth told her sister as they stood by the bar waiting for a drink. "I think we really pulled it off."

"Of course, I always knew we would! You just get cynical sometimes," Jane said teasingly.

"Do you think mom and dad are enjoying themselves?" Lizzie asked. "I just want them to be happy, you know?"

"Mom and dad are very proud of us, Lizzie. This is all they have ever wanted," Jane said, following Lizzie's gaze to where her parents sat talking with some of their colleagues from Longborne Funds.

"Sometimes I just wish they could have led a life like this, you know?" Lizzie said. "They sacrificed so much for us."

"I know, Lizzie, but they did it so we could get to where we are now. I don't think they regret anything."

Lizzie smiled at Jane. "I don't know what I would do without you Jane, you're my rock."

"And you're mine," Jane said, and squeezed Lizzie's hand affectionately.

"Miss Bennet!" A familiar voice said from behind the two girls. They both turned around and came face-to-face with Charles Bingley and William Darcy.

"Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth said, smiling at the former and barely acknowledging the latter. "I hope you're enjoying yourselves."

"Very much!" Mr. Bingley said with a huge smile, his gaze drifting to Jane. William Darcy's eyes were shifting between the two of them. Elizabeth knew immediately that Mr. Bingley had come to be introduced to Jane. Elizabeth smiled a little. She knew all about Jane's effect on men.

"Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, this is my sister and business partner, Jane Bennet," Elizabeth said, gesturing to her sister, whose cheeks were now a deep red.

"Please, call me Charles," Mr. Bingley said with an easy smile, extending his hand toward her.

"It's nice to meet you, Charles, Mr. Darcy" Jane said, grinning. "Elizabeth has told me all about your support in this initiative and I have to thank you for your generosity."

Charles looked as if he was the cat who got the cream. "Well, as the CFO of Pemberley, I always look for ways to help society."

Elizabeth's eyes drifted toward Darcy at that statement to see if he was going to repeat any of the nonsense he said earlier. Instead, she found him looking directly at her.

She immediately felt uncomfortable. Was he trying to provoke her? No one could intimidate Elizabeth Bennet, not even if this man was so-called 'American royalty'. She wasn't about to let him try.

"And how do you feel about what your colleague just said, Mr. Darcy?" Elizabeth asked him with a cold smile.

Darcy blinked and looked a little startled. "I have complete faith in Charles," he said. "I don't object to the decisions he makes about which organizations to invest in."

"But you must have an opinion on the matter," Elizabeth pressed on.

Darcy smiled a little. "I always have an opinion."

"Then please, enlighten us," Elizabeth said, with an edge to her voice. What a conceited man!

"Darcy does not approve of charities and fundraisers, unfortunately," Charles told Elizabeth with a grin. "But he has a good heart."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "A good heart and yet you don't believe in raising money for those in need?"

Darcy's smile grew, which only infuriated Elizabeth more. "I'm all for helping people out, Miss Bennet, but I have had my fair share of experience with money scandals in my life. I don't like the idea of throwing my money away to people who exploit the concept of fundraisers for their own selfish purposes."

"So how else would you help people?" Elizabeth said, seething at his generalization. "Jane, Charlotte and I can assure you that the money we raise is managed and distributed properly!"

"Individual actions, Miss Bennet. We can do a little bit every day to help those in need, one person at a time," Darcy replied. Was she imagining it, or was his smile condescending?

"Oh, yes, we have all heard that one before," Elizabeth said, throwing all civility out the window and rolling her eyes at him. "Well, Mr. Darcy, I can assure you that tonight we raised over 2 million dollars. That will help us provide the services necessary for at least 1000 women needing support. I think our approach will bring on change much more quickly than your approach, don't you?"

"I agree," Charles said, putting a stop to their argument and turning toward Jane. "Jane, I was wondering if you would like to dance?"

Elizabeth had almost forgotten that Charles and Jane were still standing next to them. She was outraged, and all he did was give her that condescending smile. How dare he?

Jane looked like she was on cloud nine. She agreed and she and Charles moved away, leaving Darcy and Elizabeth standing next to the bar alone, with two abandoned drinks.

"What are you having?" Darcy asked her, as she turned around to face the bar, hoping he would get the message to leave her alone.

"Scotch," Elizabeth said simply, staring at Jane's abandoned drink awkwardly. She would have to kill Jane later.

Darcy either didn't the hint, or he didn't care. He stepped forward so he was standing beside her. Didn't this man understand social interaction? Her body language was screaming that she was not interested.

They stood in an uncomfortable silence for a while until Elizabeth couldn't take it anymore and asked, "Are you ordering something or not?"

"I could," he said. And didn't say any more. Lizzie turned to face him. He had a frown on his face and was staring at Jane's drink in front of him. He looked like he was having some internal battle with himself.

"If you like sex on the beach, then you could have that," Lizzie said, without realizing.

His head twisted around to look at her. "What?"

Elizabeth's cheeks flushed and gestured at the drink in front of him.

"Oh," he said, with a grin, like he was enjoying his own private joke. Elizabeth could have rolled her eyes at him again. "No, I'm not a huge fan, unfortunately. But I'll order what you have, you seem to have good taste."

Again, Lizzie could not tell if he was giving her a compliment or if he was being condescending. She was starting to feel more and more uncomfortable and all she wanted was for him to get away from her. And yet, when he looked at her with that smile, she found it very difficult to remember that she disliked the man. _Great job on being shallow, Elizabeth_, she scolded herself.

"So," he continued, after ordering his drink. He had turned to face her. "I think we have met before."

Elizabeth was not prepared for that one. Her mind raced. Should she play dumb? She didn't want him to know that she remembered him. She didn't want to give him that satisfaction. This was a man who was probably used to women fawning all over him. He was probably remembered everywhere he went. Any woman with eyes would acknowledge that he oozed refinement and masculinity.

"We have?" She asked innocently.

That seemed to have the desired affect. His smile drooped a fraction and the amusement in his eyes disappeared and was replaced with uncertainty.

"Yes, the bar last week. I spilled my drink on you," he said, sounding a little awkward and uncertain.

Elizabeth smirked, satisfied that she had hurt his pride, even temporarily. "Oh? Yes, I think I vaguely remember."

She didn't say anything else. He seemed to falter beside her. Elizabeth almost did a small victory dance. That's what he got for being Mr. high-and-mighty. Ridiculously good looking or not, he was a jerk, and Elizabeth did not do jerks.

The silence dragged on. She sipped her drink and turned around with her back to the bar to scan the crowd. She saw Jane and Charles Bingley dancing across the room. They were both grinning like idiots. She smiled; at least someone was having a great time.

…

_This is really not going well_, Will thought to himself as he watched Elizabeth smile at Jane and Charles on the dance floor. He needed to think of something fast. How could she have not remembered him from the bar? Clearly, this woman had absolutely no interest in him.

He had no idea why. He was used to women gripping onto his every word. He never had issues talking to women he was interested in. And yet, Elizabeth Bennet made him feel like a schoolboy. He had absolutely no idea what to say to her. It was almost like she had built a wall around herself and was refusing to let him in.

Will Darcy was desperate to get to know her, but it seemed like everything he said aggravated her. He was thrilled by her defensiveness and passion, to the point that he almost felt like he could continue to provoke her just to see the fire in her eyes.

Despite all this, Will knew that it was probably best that she was not interested in him. His family would never approve of Elizabeth Bennet, no matter what her current position was. He was expected to be with someone from a similar background. But at the same time, Will knew that he was not headed for marriage anytime soon, so why would it hurt to get to know her a little better? Maybe it wouldn't even work out. People dated and broke up all the time. Wouldn't it be worth a shot, just to have a little bit of time with this vision of perfection standing next to him?

As his internal battle waged on, he had not noticed that Elizabeth had turned to him with a questioning look.

"Do you usually stand next to people and not say anything, Mr. Darcy?" She asked, the edge to her voice was still there.

"Call me Will," he said, hating the formality of her tone. "And that all depends, I'm not really a fan of social gatherings. I find it difficult talking to new people."

"Clearly," she muttered, turning her attention back to the crowd.

Will knew he wasn't an easy person to talk to, but he hated that she already had a bad impression of him. So he began racking his brain for topics of conversation.

He cleared his throat and tried again, even though he already knew the answer: "So, are you originally from New York?"

"No, New Jersey actually. How about you?"

Will almost let out a sigh of relief. He was feeling uncharacteristically tense around this woman. At least she was continuing the conversation.

"I'm from Boston. I grew up there, and my sister still lives at our apartment there. I moved to New York when I took over Pemberley."

"How old is your sister?" She asked, her voice softening a fraction.

Will wondered if Elizabeth really knew nothing about his family or if she was just trying to get him to talk. For some reason, Will felt like she wasn't the type to read gossip magazines.

"She's 21," Will said. "It has only been the two of us since our mother passed away. She is being taken care of by our housekeeper, who is like a second mother to us, but I worry about her a lot and try to go back as much as I can."

Elizabeth looked startled and was now studying his face carefully. William was surprised at himself as well. He normally did not offer information about his personal life to people he barely knew. But for some reason, Elizabeth made him feel comfortable.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Elizabeth said, with genuine concern. "Why can't your sister live with you in New York?"

Will looked at her. Her green eyes were lit up with interest and curiosity. He desperately wanted to feed that curiosity but he could not bring himself to talk about it with her now.

He turned away from her and didn't respond. He could feel her eyes burning into the side of his face but she said nothing.

They were standing in silence again when the other woman who had been on stage with Elizabeth approached them with a smile.

"There you are, Lizzie," she said, glancing between the two of them. "It's time for the raffle."

Lizzie nodded. "Charlotte, this is William Darcy from Pemberley International."

The woman smiled at him. Darcy was startled by the sharpness in her eyes – almost like she could read right through him. "Thank you for supporting our initiative, Mr. Darcy."

"You should not be thanking Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth jumped in, the coolness returning to her voice. Will cringed at the use of his formal name. "He does not necessarily support the concept of fundraisers. You should be thanking Mr. Bingley for his kindness. Have a good night, Mr. Darcy."

With that, Elizabeth strode away purposefully toward the stage. Charlotte shot him an apologetic look and followed her.

Will tried not to feel the crushing blow of disappointment as he realized he had made no progress and that she still hated him. Will tried to ignore her retreating figure and the rising heat and attraction in his stomach. He tried to ignore the desperate need to get her to like him.

But Will could not ignore any of it, no matter how hard he tried. He felt like he had sipped fresh water after days in a desert. There was no going back now.


	5. Chapter 5

"Lizzie, did I interrupt something there?" Charlotte asked Lizzie as they headed toward the stage again.

"What are you talking about?" Lizzie said, still a little distracted after her conversation with Will.

"You and Will Darcy? I sensed…tension," Charlotte said, walking quickly to keep up with Lizzie.

"Will Darcy," Lizzie scoffed, stepping onto the stage. "Is not worth our time."

"Anyone that hot is definitely worth our time, Lizzie," Charlotte said, wiggling her eyebrows at her and smiling.

"Trust me, Charlotte, I'm not that shallow. His terrible personality cancels out his good looks," Lizzie said, not wanting to admit that she was still attracted to him despite his haughtiness. She blamed it on her hormones, not her lack of logic.

"Well, he certainly looks at you quite a bit," Charlotte said, gesturing back to the bar with her head. Lizzie looked and found Will exactly where they had left him, staring directly at her.

"I think he's trying to intimidate me, Charlotte," Lizzie said, tearing her gaze away from him and focusing on Charlotte, who was now smirking at her. "Maybe he feels the need to put down people who do not agree with his views."

"I could say the same about you, Lizzie," Charlotte said with a quick laugh. "I say that with all the love in the world, of course."

Lizzie glared at her and turned to the microphone. This night would be so much better if it wasn't for Will Darcy.

She cleared her throat and began moving through the process of raffling off the various prizes that were available. Lizzie's eyes kept drifting unintentionally toward where Will was sitting throughout the entire raffle. She could just not help it; there was something about that small smile playing on his lips that immediately drew her attention back to him again and again.

"Our last prize," Lizzie finally said. "Has been donated generously on behalf of Pemberley International. It is a weekend getaway to Netherfield Resorts for the special 10th anniversary party in Miami, Florida!"

The crowd erupted into excited applause as Charlotte pulled out a piece of paper from the raffle box and looked at the name. Lizzie watched her friend's face transform into a look of comical horror as she handed the name wordlessly to Lizzie. Lizzie looked down at the piece of paper in confusion and then looked back at her friend questioningly before turning back to the microphone: "Our lucky winner is Mr. Bill Collins!"

The crowd erupted into more applause and a single shout of glee could be heard somewhere in the audience. Lizzie looked around in confusion, looking for the source of the noise as Charlotte audibly groaned beside her. Finally, Lizzie caught sight of a short, bearded man approaching the stage in a suit that was far too large for him.

He rushed toward Charlotte first, planting two wet kisses on her cheeks, followed by Lizzie, who tried very hard to restrain herself from wiping off the wetness that lingered after his lips detached from her face.

Lizzie recovered from her disgust to give the man a better look: he was indeed a good foot shorter than Lizzie, his suit looked expensive, but didn't fit him properly at all, his hair and beard, however, were well-kept, and so was his unibrow. Lizzie found herself smirking and thinking how it was a little odd that a unibrow could look so well groomed, like he had left it there on purpose.

Suddenly, Lizzie understood Charlotte's reaction to this man. This was the man Charlotte had gone on a date with a couple of weeks ago and it was pretty obvious she wasn't happy to be seeing him again; she looked positively horrified.

"Thank you!" Bill Collins was saying to the audience. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you to Pemberley International for providing me with this great opportunity! And thank you to Longborne Funds for organizing this event!"

How many times was this man going to say thank you? The crowd erupted with laughter and applauded politely. Bill Collins stepped aside for a moment so Lizzie could conclude the raffle.

"Thank you so much, Miss Bennet and Miss Lucas," Bill Collins said as the noise level in the room increased again after Lizzie stopped speaking. "I cannot tell you how happy I am to be here and how impressed I am with the whole event. I will let everyone in my social circle know all about Longborne Funds and the admirable initiatives you participate in. I have a very exclusive social circle, you see, and-"

"Bill!" Charlotte exclaimed in frustration, interrupting him mid-speech. "I'm sorry, but we must really be going … wait…_what_ social circle?"

"My dear Charlotte, did I not tell you about my god-mother, Miss Catherine De Bourgh?"

Lizzie had no idea who this man was talking about, but Charlotte's eyes had widened to the size of saucers. Before Charlotte could respond, he turned to Lizzie and bowed deeply. "Miss Bennet, you are as glorious as I imagined. I am so pleased to finally make your acquaintance."

_Well then, that's a little creepy,_ Elizabeth thought, but instead she gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Mr. Collins. I'm sorry, I believe I do not know much about you, do you work in the city?"

"Yes, Miss Benent, I work for Rosings, Inc.," he said with an unnatural level of pride. "I am here on behalf of Miss Catherine de Bourgh."

Lizzie knew all about Rosings, the biggest advertising agency in the world, but she had no idea who this woman he kept talking about was. She glanced at Charlotte, who still seemed to be gaping at Bill Collins.

"Miss Bennet," Bill Collins said, forcing her to look back at him. "I would be honoured if you would meet with me sometime next week to go over a business proposition I have for you. There is this darling little coffee shop with the best macaroons I have ever tasted, quite close to your office, and I would love to take you there. Do you have a business card?"

Lizzie was startled. She was used to meeting people for lunch or dinner for business meetings but a "darling little coffee shop"? It sounded a little odd. However, he _did_ say he had a business proposition so Lizzie could not really turn him down. She was always open to new business, even if this man was ridiculous. So, she simply smiled and handed him her business card and told him to get in touch with her assistant. He gave Lizzie a toothy grin in response and launched into another string of excessive thank yous, making Lizzie wonder if she had done something that she was desperately going to regret.

…

"I think I'm in love," Charles Bingley told his friends with a wistful sigh in the back of Will Darcy's car as they drove away from the fundraiser.

Roger, Will's driver, glanced into the rearview mirror at Will with a questioning look. Will smirked and rolled his eyes in response.

"If I had a dollar for every time I have heard you say that…" Richard said with a laugh. "I would be even richer than Will here."

"No, guys, you don't understand," Charles said, shaking his head stubbornly. "Jane is different, I have never met someone so perfect. She is beautiful, kind and smart. _Very_ smart. I think it's really sexy."

"It would be a breath of fresh air from the bimbos you usually hook up with," Will stated as he stared out the window, still thinking about Elizabeth.

"As if you're any better, Darcy," Charles scoffed.

Will ignored him. The rest of the night had been much like the start. Will had watched her and had felt strangely jealous every time she smiled or laughed with someone. And then he had to watch that fool Collins throw himself at her right on stage. He had nearly choked on his drink when he saw her hand him a business card. How did that slimy man get her number when he could not even get her to talk to him properly?

Will Darcy had never felt like such a failure. He had only spoken to her once more, and that was only to say goodbye. Now, Will was sulking as Charles droned on about finding the love of his life.

"A woman with the whole package is a little like a unicorn," Richard was saying. "I have never met so a woman who has it all. Although, I think I preferred Elizabeth out of the three. She is sexy, feisty and sharp. I can only imagine what she would be like in bed…"

Will turned to glare at Richard only to see him looking right at him with a smirk. Of course Richard saw right through him. He could already tell that Will was into Elizabeth. The image of Elizabeth in his bed crept into his mind, and he would have tried pushing it back out if he hadn't already been guilty of picturing it several times that night.

"Awww… it looks like our wittle Willy has a crush," Richard simpered.

Will punched him in the shoulder. "I don't. And anyway, it doesn't matter because nothing is going to happen."

"Yeah, Rich, we all know Elizabeth hates his guts. She's the type of girl you don't want to double cross. But Jane…" he said, drifting off with a dreamy smile on his face. "Jane is an angel."

"Did you get her number at least?" Richard asked Charles.

"Of course I did! Who do you think I am? Will Darcy?" They burst out laughing.

Will glared at the two of them. "What is that supposed to mean? You know I could get any woman I want." He knew he sounded like a petulant fool, but his pride had been wounded too many times tonight.

"Except Elizabeth," Richard pointed out. Charles and Richard barked with laughter again.

Will gritted his teeth in frustration. This was certainly something he was going to have to change.

…

"He's everything a young man ought to be," Jane said with a sigh as she collapsed into the chair across from Lizzie on Monday night after work. They were meeting for dinner at a restaurant around the corner to catch up since Lizzie had been in meetings all day.

"So I guess the date went well yesterday?" Lizzie asked with a smile, leaning back in her chair and observing her sister's rosy cheeks.

"We spent the whole day together, Lizzie!" Jane said excitedly. "We were only supposed to meet for brunch but then we walked around central park for hours, just talking!"

"And?" Lizzie asked.

"And, we kissed! Well actually, we made out quite a bit," Jane giggled. "I felt like a teenager again."

Lizzie laughed. "Well, that was fast! Are you sure, Jane? I don't want you to get hurt. He seems nice, but he could be a playboy…"

"Maybe," Jane said, waving her hand dismissively. "But he is such a gentleman. And you know I can handle men who try to play me. Remember James?"

Lizzie chuckled. "Ah yes. James. I think you scarred him for life."

Jane grinned. "Well he deserved it!"

"I'm happy for you," Lizzie told her sister. "I hope you get married and have kids so I can finally fulfill my dream of being a creepy spinster aunt with dozens of cats."

Jane laughed. "You know that's not going to happen. And besides – you hate cats!"

Lizzie grinned. "So when are you seeing him next?"

"Yeah, about that," Jane said slowly. "I actually invited him to meet us here. I hope you don't mind. I want you and Charlotte to get to know him better…"

"Sure! You know I support you, Jane. And I do want to get to know him better, unless he turns out to be a complete tool, in which case, it will look like James got let off the hook in comparison!" Lizzie said with a mischievous grin. "Where is Charlotte anyway?"

"Oh, she didn't tell you? She has a date, but she said she will be joining us later on," Jane said distractedly, looking at the front door of the restaurant to wait for Charles' entrance.

"A date with who?" Lizzie asked. "Who is she seeing now?"

"I think it's the guy with the unibrow, Collins from the fundraiser? Oh come on, Lizzie, don't act so surprised," Jane said as she saw Lizzie's face transform into a look of horror.

"Collins?! He is completely odd! I thought she hated the guy. Did she not drag us out of that bar last week just to avoid him?"

"Yes, but that was before she knew he was Lady Catherine De Bourgh's godson," Jane pointed out.

"I really miss a lot when I spend the day in meetings," Lizzie muttered. "Why does everyone keep talking about Catherine De Bourgh? Who is she?"

Jane rolled her eyes at her sister. "Honestly, Lizzie, sometimes I just don't get how you can be so smart but be so out of the loop. She is only the richest woman in America. She is also chairwoman of Rosings Inc."

"And what does this have to do with Charlotte and Collins?" Lizzie asked, still perplexed.

"Inheritance? It's pretty obvious," Jane said, looking around the bar again. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "There he is!"

Lizzie turned around and to her dismay, saw that Charles was not alone but in the company of none other than William Darcy.

Lizzie turned to Jane and raised her eyebrows questioningly and she shot Lizzie a look that said: behave! Lizzie sighed. If anything, she could be civilized for her sister's sake.

"Jane! Miss Bennet!" Charles exclaimed as he approached their table and wrapped Jane in a hug.

"Please, Charles, I think you can call me Elizabeth," Lizzie told him with a smile as he sat down beside Jane. "Hello," she said to Darcy.

"It's nice to see you both again," Darcy said, a wide smile gracing his features. "I'm sorry for intruding, Charles told me about your meeting and I had to take this opportunity to congratulate you both properly for the other night."

_Well, this is certainly surprising. He is actually being nice,_ Elizabeth thought. _I wonder what brought on this unexpected civility._

Lizzie mumbled a thank you and turned to look down at the menu so she could avoid those blue eyes of his. _Damn him_, he was just too distractingly attractive.

"Thank you, Will," Jane said pleasantly. "Of course, you're very welcome to join us. And besides, I would like to get to know Charles' best friend. He has already told me some interesting stories about the two of you."

Darcy laughed a deep, musical laugh and Elizabeth's eyes nearly popped out of her head as the sound did strange things to her. She had never heard a laugh so… sexy. She scowled and focused on the menu again.

"I hope he hasn't told you anything too embarrassing…Charles and I have had our fair share of interesting adventures in our lifetime," Darcy said, still laughing.

His voice was doing weird things to her and for some reason his closeness was all she could focus on. Heat was radiating off his arm where it rested inches away from her own. The smell of his cologne filled her nostrils and –

_He is a jerk. He is a jerk. He is a jerk,_ Elizabeth kept chanting in her head, distracting her mind from his physical presence. _But…remember the homeless man, Lizzie? _A small voice pointed out from the depths of her consciousness._ He can't be so bad, can he?_

"Are you okay, Lizzie?" Jane asked, interrupting Elizabeth's thoughts. "Do you not like the menu? You're scowling a lot."

A flush crept up Elizabeth's neck and spread across her cheeks. "No, sorry, um…I was just thinking about some work stuff."

"Lizzie is always on work-mode. It's worse after she's been in meetings all day," Jane explained to Charles and Will.

"I know what you mean," Will said amiably, looking at Elizabeth. "Especially if it's your own company, you feel responsible for absolutely everything. It almost becomes a part of you."

Lizzie looked up at Will Darcy with surprise. Why was he trying to relate himself to her? He was looking at her earnestly, those blue eyes searching her own.

All Lizzie did was nod. She was suddenly feeling very flustered. She just could not understand William Darcy. One minute he was helping homeless men and flirting with her in a bar, and the next minute he was conceited and insulting. Which part was the real him?

"So, Elizabeth… if I can call you Elizabeth," Will said again, startling her out of her thoughts. "What drink do you recommend?"

"Elizabeth is fine. And you seem to have a lot of faith in my choice of alcohol," Elizabeth said, finally closing the menu and turning toward him. "Why is that? I'm not an alcoholic, you know that, right?"

Will smiled. "Well, you were drinking scotch last time we met. If that's not a good indication of good taste, I don't know what is."

"I also like Sex on the Beach," Lizzie point out, citing Jane's drink at the fundraiser. "But you didn't seem to be too keen about it."

"It depends what kind you're talking about," Will said. And then he did the most uncharacteristic thing imaginable: he winked at her!

Elizabeth could have gone into cardiac arrest then and there. How inappropriate of him! She glanced at Jane and Charles, but they seemed to be in their own little world. So, Lizzie did her best to recover from her shock and gave him her best glare.

"How old are you, 12?" Lizzie snapped at him. All he did was chuckle, which infuriated Lizzie to no end. "I guess go with scotch."

"Great choice," Will said with a grin. Why did he keep smiling so much? Those dimples were distracting her.

The waiter came to take their orders. Once he left, Lizzie realized that she was going to be on her own until Charlotte arrived. Charles and Jane were speaking to each other in low voices, completely oblivious to everyone around them.

Will noticed too and shrugged when he caught Elizabeth's eye. Well, if she was stuck here with Will, she could at least try to be more conversational.

"So, _Will_," Elizabeth said in a mocking tone, which for some reason made Will smile wider. "Tell me what it's like being CEO at one of the biggest companies in the world."

"Stressful. Rewarding. Exciting. Completely crazy," Will said, looking at her with a small smile. "Those are a few adjectives that come to mind."

"I see…and rewarding, how? As far as I know, Pemberley does not participate in too many charitable initiatives," Elizabeth said, not being able to resist the dig.

"Well, we did invest in your initiative, did we not?" Will told her, unfazed.

"Yes, but you hardly agreed with it," Lizzie snapped.

"Maybe not, but it's still rewarding to know that my company helps out even in a small way."

"Did you not say you invested in our initiative only to provide Pemberley with good publicity?" Lizzie countered, not letting him off the hook.

"That's _my_ motive, yes," he said, shrugging again. "But that doesn't mean I can't see the good that comes out of helping organizations like yours, even if I may not necessarily agree."

Elizabeth gritted her teeth. He sounded so sure of himself and she could not convince him otherwise, even if she tried. She sat in silence as the waiter returned to bring them their drinks.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're not very pleased with that response?" Will asked, shooting her a sidelong glance as he began stirring his drink slowly.

"Because I'm not," Lizzie responded easily. "You're contradicting yourself at every turn."

"Maybe," he said, his eyes searching hers again. "But that's the best way I can explain my thought process. I'm sorry if it's not what you want to hear."

Lizzie was not satisfied. His explanation was logical and yet she still found it aggravating. But then again, he _was_ entitled to his own opinion, so who was she to try and change his mind?

"I'm sensing that we should probably change the topic," Will said with another easy smile. "Are you a big reader?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said, relaxing a little bit. "I'm actually into classics and philosophy lately. I read Seneca just recently. I find it fascinating how his musings from ancient Rome still apply today."

"_Letters From A Stoic?"_ Will asked her, much to Elizabeth's surprise.

"Yes! Have you read it?" Will smiled and nodded. "That _is_ surprising, not many people know about Seneca."

"_'As we postpone, life speeds by,'_" Will quoted. "Words to live by."

_Hmm, a hot man quoting philosophy is a hot man indeed,_ Elizabeth thought to herself.

"What?" Will asked, laughing. "Why are you giving me that look?"

"What look?" Elizabeth asked, flushing.

"I don't know, you either look impressed or completely disgusted with me," Will said with a grin.

"I think it's probably closer to disgust," Lizzie said, but this time she was teasing him. Maybe he was not as bad as she had made him out to be. Sure, her opinions did not match his, but maybe she could give him a chance to redeem himself.

He laughed that deep laugh again and began shrugging off his suit jacket. _Yes, hearing that laugh is motivation enough to give him another chance,_ Elizabeth thought as reached toward his neck and loosened his tie. Lizzie caught a glimpse of his collarbone and neck muscles and her heart went into overdrive. She looked up at him to see that he was looking directly into her eyes. She flushed and averted her gaze in embarrassment.

"What made you interested in philosophy?" Lizzie asked, trying to recover from her embarrassment.

"I actually minored in it while I was at Harvard," he said, twisting his body around slightly to face her. "I just find it relatable. When I read philosophy, I just always feel like they get it, you know? Philosophers tell it like it is. They make life seem so simple, which it is, when you think about it. I just think that we, as humans, make it complicated."

At this point, Lizzie had unconsciously turned her body to face him as well. She could not believe that she was actually talking to a man about philosophy. The words coming out of his mouth matched her own thoughts perfectly.

She smiled. "That's exactly what got me into it as well."

Will smiled at her. "I guess we do have some things in common then. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Lizzie rolled his eyes at him and blushed again. "No matter what, I still say you are completely wrong about your view on fundraising."

He put his hands up defensively. "Hey, I accept that. It's totally fine that you don't agree. What do you say about a truce? Friends?"

Lizzie looked at him. He was smiling and amusement was dancing around in those deep ocean eyes of his. She couldn't help but smile back and agree.

…

Will was pleasantly surprised. This was going a lot better than he imagined. She was certainly blushing a lot, and he had caught her staring at him as he had loosened his tie – a move that had worked like a charm – if he did say so himself. He suppressed a smirk. He had known it wasn't going to be that difficult to get her to like him. First impressions could always be changed.

Will was more and more impressed with this woman the more he spoke to her. A high-power businesswoman also interested in philosophy and classics? That was certainly a breath of fresh air for him. He thought about his last girlfriend, Natasha. He had scratched models off his list after her. He could not think of one intelligent conversation they had shared together. Now that he thought about it, though, he couldn't remember the last intelligent conversation he had with a woman he found attractive.

He looked at Elizabeth out of the corner of his eye. She was stirring her drink, lost in thought. She was incredibly beautiful; and he had to fight the urge to run his fingers through her dark curls. She was wearing a simple black skirt and a bright pink blouse and Will found it fascinating how she made something so simple look so alluring.

Will shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His attraction to her was too intense and he needed to calm himself down.

"Are you alright?" She asked, probably sensing his movement next to her.

"Yes," Will said, quickly hiding his discomfort with a smile. "I was just thinking how Charles here should be a little more attentive to the two of us, since ultimately you are the one who probably has to approve of him."

Will was thrilled when Elizabeth laughed. "You're right, Will. Charles, you're not doing a good job so far."

Charles looked mortified and began apologizing profusely. Will always found it hilarious at how easy it was to embarrass Charles.

"I'm just teasing you, Charles," Elizabeth was saying. "We would not be here right now if I didn't approve of you!"

Charles smiled in relief. "Jane was just telling me about your family. You have three younger sisters?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said. "They still live in New Jersey with our parents. Mary and Kitty are nurses and Lydia is still in school."

"Nurses! That's an impressive profession," Charles said. "It must be a lot of hard work. One of my cousins is a nurse and she works very long hours, but she always said it is very rewarding."

"Why not become doctors?" Will asked, without thinking.

Lizzie turned to him sharply. "They wanted to become nurses. Are you undermining the nursing profession?"

Will threw up his hands defensively. "That's not what I'm saying, but doctors definitely get paid a lot more and their work is a lot more involved when it comes to helping people. I was just curious as to why they chose nursing…"

"Not everything is about money!" Lizzie snapped, the fire returning to her eyes. Will turned to look at her and realized that he had come off as a snob again.

"Lizzie," Jane said in a warning tone. "I think Will is just asking why they decided to go into nursing."

Will looked at Jane. He realized that Jane and Lizzie could not be more opposite in character. Lizzie was quick to anger, while Jane always seemed to be looking for the good in people. It was certainly evident now that Jane was trying to defend Will.

"Yes," Will said quickly, hoping he hadn't broken everything he had worked to fix tonight. "Why did they choose nursing?"

"Because they are passionate about helping others and they liked the program that was offered. Anyway, they couldn't really continue with their studies even if they wanted to…" Lizzie trailed off and Will could tell she was upset.

"Our family wouldn't have been able to afford putting them through med school," Jane explained. "Lizzie and I had just started Longborne Funds when they were still in college and we were still uncertain if it was going to be successful. So there wouldn't have been any monetary support. We have struggled with money all our lives. Lizzie and I managed to put ourselves through college but we barely had time to do anything else, since we were either studying or working. Our sisters are not as determined as we are."

That certainly shut Will up. Money had never been an issue for him so he had not even considered that being a potential barrier for their studies. He looked at Lizzie who was now glaring down at the table in front of her. He had upset her yet again… how was he going to fix this now? He wanted to tell her that her hard work and determination impressed him and that he admired her for it.

"Charlotte is here!" Jane suddenly exclaimed, interrupting Will's thoughts. "Wait…is that Bill Collins with her?!"

The night was about to get a lot more interesting.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Sorry about the delay... things are busy on my end! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Lizzie was having a really hard time keeping her eyes open. Bill Collins, who had a very annoying habit of calling everyone "dear", was droning on about Miss Catherine and her great estate in the Virgin Islands. Charles had looked amused for the majority of their dinner, but Lizzie could see that even the usually good-humored Charles Bingley was now at his tipping point. Lizzie also couldn't decide if she was amused or if she felt bad for Will, whom they had all discovered was Miss Catherine's nephew, much to Bill Collin's pleasure. The interrogation had begun ever since this particular revelation had been made:

"Mr. Darcy, have you been to her ladyship's great estate in the Virgin Islands?" Bill Collins was now asking.

"Her _ladyship_? What are we, in the regency era?" Lizzie asked in disbelief.

Bill ignored her. "I have the pleasure of going at least once a year, Miss Catherine is very kind to me."

"Yes, I have," Will said curtly. Will had transformed before Lizzie's eyes as soon as Bill Collins had arrived at their table. The warm, engaging man from earlier in the evening was gone and had been replaced by a man wearing a hard mask of disdain. Lizzie couldn't blame him, but the way that he was able to change his behaviour with the snap of a finger was completely unnerving.

"Why don't we go dancing?" Charlotte asked suddenly, gripping Collins' arm. Elizabeth studied her friend and had a really hard time understanding what had gotten into her. Could she really be dating this man for his status? She tried to quell the feeling of disgust that was rising in her stomach and prayed that Charlotte had more sense than that.

"I don't know," Lizzie said hesitantly. "It's Monday night and it's getting a little late. I think I'll head back."

"Come on, Lizzie!" Charlotte objected. "You're the CEO, you can come into work whenever you want!"

Lizzie had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Charlotte was sounding more and more like a ditz as the evening went by.

Charles laughed. "Elizabeth, you shock me! I had hoped you had more energy at your age. You haven't even hit thirty yet! Even Will wouldn't say no to a night out!"

Lizzie smiled and turned to Will, who had now transferred his scowl from Bill to Charles.

"Are you sure we're talking about the same person, Charles?" Lizzie asked. "I'm sure Mr. Darcy is even worse than I am when it comes to work."

"All he needs is a little gentle persuasion," Charles pointed out to Lizzie with a smirk.

"How can we persuade you, then, Mr. Darcy?" Lizzie said, giving Will a sly smile. Will's face seemed to completely defrost as he looked at Lizzie and gave her a half smile.

"Well, Miss Bennet, I could hardly object if you will be my dance partner," he said smoothly.

Before Lizzie could respond, Bill Collins interrupted: "Mr. Darcy, I believe that although you and Elizabeth would make excellent dance partners, I feel the need to tell you that I have been taking a few dance lessons myself, particularly salsa," he said, shifting his gaze and suddenly addressing Lizzie, "and I would be honoured to be your partner this evening if you would let me."

The table was shocked into a silence. Charlotte was – infuriatingly so – shooting daggers at Lizzie with her eyes. Jane and Charles were staring at Collins with their mouths open and Darcy, well, if looks could kill…

Lizzie couldn't tell if Collins was being passive aggressive on purpose or if he was just a complete fool.

"Thank you Bill, but I'm sure Charlotte would prefer to see your salsa moves. Did you know she has some Latin blood in her?" Lizzie said, with some annoyance. "But you'll have to excuse me, I'm going to call it a night."

Before Bill could object, Lizzie stood up and turned to hug Jane. She would have to deal with Charlotte later.

"Text me when you get home," she whispered in her sister's ear. "And I hope to God you manage to get rid of this fool along the way."

Jane nodded and Lizzie waved to the rest of them as she moved toward the exit, unaware that Will was staring after her.

...

Lizzie didn't go straight home as she had intended to. Instead, she stepped into a nearby Starbucks and got herself a tea to calm herself down.

The coffee shop was quiet at this time of night, except for a handful of students working on their laptops at nearby table and an elderly couple doing the crossword together, it was completely empty. Lizzie smiled a little as she watched the couple, wondering if she would ever have that with someone else.

Sometimes it seemed utterly hopeless. Lizzie was not actively looking for love, but deep down, she wondered what it really felt like. Bill Collins had really depressed her tonight. If most men were like him, then she wanted nothing to do with them.

She sighed and sipped her tea. No, men were definitely not worth her time. An image of Will Darcy pushed itself into her mind and she allowed herself to think about him for a while. He was certainly an enigma to Lizzie. Is Will Darcy the type of man she could be with?

She smirked at the thought. She could never date someone like Will Darcy. He was attractive, and that was a fact, but he was impossible to understand and their values clashed. He had been born into wealth, and that was not something Lizzie would ever be able to understand. She was too connected to people in need; she knew what it was like to be lower class. Will was not someone who would ever understand what that felt like.

_Why am I still thinking about Will Darcy?_ Lizzie thought. She looked at the clock and saw it was almost midnight.

She was throwing out her cup and turning toward the exit when she saw none other than the object of her thoughts enter the coffee shop. Their eyes met immediately and he smiled as he approached her. Lizzie did not want to put up with anything else tonight, so she decided to keep this short.

"Looks like you're busted," Will told her with a grin.

"Are you stalking me?" Lizzie said in an annoyed tone.

He laughed. "You're not the only one who couldn't stand Bill Collins. And for your information, I'm not stalking you. I live around the corner and I always come to this Starbucks."

Lizzie shrugged. "Well, I guess I better get going."

"Why don't you join me?" He asked, gesturing toward a table.

That was really not something she wanted to do so Lizzie smiled apologetically. "I really should go home, I have a lot of work to do."

For a split second, Lizzie saw something like disappointment flash through Darcy's eyes but then that hard look Lizzie was now beginning to recognize returned in all its glory.

He simply shrugged and turned away from her.

Lizzie felt a little guilty for being impolite, but didn't think much of it. She simply mumbled a good night as she slipped out the coffee shop and into the night.

...

Will was angry at himself. He was angry for being so hooked on this woman who clearly was making no effort in being polite to him when he had been trying to be civil. Will was not used to rejection, but this was more than that. Will was drawn to Elizabeth and the thought of her not liking him drove him absolutely mad.

He plopped down in his chair with his coffee and sipped it thoughtfully. Why should he even bother? He was not some puppy made to follow her and beg for her attention.

And yet – he couldn't help it. She was so different and he couldn't just let it go. He would just have to show her who he really was and then have her decide whether she liked what she saw or not.

The sound of his phone interrupted his thoughts. He glanced down at the screen and saw he had a new text from his sister:

_You still up?_

Will quickly typed a message back: _Of course, do you want to talk?_

_I had another dream…_

Will picked up his phone instantly and dialed his sister's number.

"Georgie, what's wrong?" Will asked with concern when he heard his sister on the other end of the line.

"It's just another dream, Will," Georgiana said, sounding groggy from sleep. "I just wish they would go away."

"The doctor said it would take some time," he said soothingly. "You have been through a lot, you just need time to come to terms with it."

He heard her exhale on the other end of the line. "I know…" she drifted off. "Are you at work?"

"No, just having a late night coffee," he said. "Georgiana, I can fly to Boston tonight if you need me."

"No Will, I'm fine. I'll be fine in the morning. You can't just come running back every time I have a bad dream."

"I'm worried about you, Georgie," Will said, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "How is Mrs. Reynolds? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine. Mrs. Reynolds is great, as usual," she paused. "She told me Aunt Catherine called you."

"Yes, she did," Will said in an even voice. He didn't say any more.

Georgiana sensed her brother's disapproval and sighed. "I know she wants me to come back to New York, Will. I do have to finish my studies eventually."

"I know, Georgiana, and you will," Will said, feeling bad that he made his sister upset. "We just have to be careful, and make sure everything has calmed down before you do. Most importantly, you have to be in the right state of mind."

"I'm fine Will, it has been a year," Georgiana said in frustration. "If only the dreams would go away…"

"They will," he assured her. "I'll call you tomorrow. Just try and get some sleep. I love you."

"I love you, too," Georgiana replied.

Will hung up and sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. If the dreams were any indication, Georgiana was still in a vulnerable state. He thought about Elizabeth again and suddenly felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He had let himself get distracted in the last couple of days since meeting Elizabeth and he had not thought about the impact a relationship would have on Georgiana. Georgiana needed his full attention until she was completely better.

He stood up with a newfound resignation. It was settled, he would have to forget about Elizabeth Bennet. Luckily for him, her behaviour tonight was going to make it so much easier for him to do exactly that.

Or so he thought.

...

Lizzie was at one of the hottest clubs in Manhattan and it was close to midnight. The music was loud…very loud, and Lizzie was fed up…very fed up.

She shifted uncomfortably on her feet from her place near the bar and watched as Bill Collins continued to grind his body against a stripper pole at the center of the club. Charlotte was behind him laughing and dancing. Lizzie found herself wondering why some clubs insisted on putting in stripper poles for their clientele to dance. Most of the time, you just had people like slimy Bill Collins making fools of themselves. On top if it all, he kept giving Lizzie suggestive looks at every chance he got.

"Hey," a voice said from beside her. She turned around and was startled to see none other than Will Darcy standing next to her.

"Where were you?" Lizzie found herself asking him.

"I had to make a call for work," Will said with a smile. "Miss me?"

She rolled her eyes. "At midnight?"

"Yes, Elizabeth. I do have offices in different time zones," Will said. He really had a nasty habit of making his comments sound condescending.

"Whatever," Lizzie muttered, now beginning to wish he would go take another call and leave her alone.

They stood in silence, the music was blaring and Bill Collins shot Lizzie another suggestive look.

"That's it!" Lizzie screamed, startling Will. "I'm getting out of here!"

She turned and marched toward the exit of the club and was almost out the door when she felt someone grab her arm. She turned around and faced Will.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" He asked, still holding her arm. "What did I say?"

"Not everything is about you, Darcy," Lizzie snapped, glaring at him.

He dropped her arm and scowled. "Listen, I'm trying to be nice here. I get that you don't like me, but maybe you can try and be a little more civilized."

"Civilized? _You_ are giving _me_ advice on how to be civilized?" She laughed mirthlessly. "That's even more outrageous than Bill Collins dancing on a stripper pole!"

Lizzie was surprised when Will burst into laughter. Lizzie stared as he doubled over and clutched his side, guffawing loudly and it was so contagious that she couldn't help but grin and begin laughing as well. They laughed for such a long time that people walking by them started giving them odd looks.

"What?" Lizzie said breathlessly, still grinning. "Have you seen the looks he has been giving me?"

"I have," Will said panting a little to catch his breath. "It has been horrifying and hilarious. What is your friend doing with him? She has been all over him!"

Lizzie shook her head, her laughter fading as she thought of Charlotte's intentions. "I really don't want to know. I'm hoping it's a moment of insanity." She looked back to see Charlotte and Collins now grinding up against each other on the dance floor. Well, at least it was an improvement over the stripper pole.

"I notice that she practically drools every time he mentioned my aunt Catherine," Will pointed out.

"I can't believe how much I have heard of this Miss Catherine in the last week. I had never even heard about it before the fundraiser and now I find out that on top of it all, you're her nephew?" Lizzie said shaking her head.

Will just hummed non-committedly. Lizzie was beginning to learn that Will was a very private person.

"What?" Will asked. Lizzie hadn't realized that she had been staring at him and she immediately looked away.

"Nothing, sorry, I… I was just going to leave, remember?"

"Come on," Will said with a small smile, surprising Lizzie. "Don't leave me here all alone! With Collins, no less! You wouldn't do that to me, would you?"

The look in his eyes was so genuine that Lizzie found it impossible to reject him even if she tried.

She laughed. "Fine, but you have to make it worth my while, Darcy!"

He raised his eyebrows, his blue eyes flashing with amusement. "This is a challenge I'm willing to accept. Why don't you start by dancing with me?"

"Careful, Darcy. Your questions are starting to sound a lot like orders," Lizzie said with a teasing smile. "You really have to work on your communication skills."

"Do I?" Darcy said, smirking. "I guess I have a lot to learn from the great Elizabeth Bennet: CEO and fundraiser extraordinaire!"

He held out his hand and Elizabeth accepted it with a roll of her eyes. She was about to make a snarky comment but as soon as her hand made contact with his, her senses went into overdrive. She looked up at him but he had already turned away and was pulling her onto the dance floor. She shook her head, brushing the feeling aside.

Will had strategically chosen a spot on the dance floor away from the sight of Collins and Charlotte. He finally stopped and turned around, pulling her closer to him. The music was loud and fast and she found herself wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing closer to him.

Elizabeth was not the type to be overly familiar with a man she barely knew. She had standards and always made an effort to avoid unwanted attention by only flirting with men she was interested in.

Tonight, she knew she was not interested in Darcy and yet by some invisible force, she now found herself pressed against him, actually enjoying the feeling of his arms around her waist. His hands were on the small of her back, sending sparks of pleasure up and down her spine. She didn't dare look up into his eyes out of fear of losing her cool. There was no doubt that she found him extremely attractive, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he was the type who knew he was attractive and who knew exactly how to get what he wanted from women. If she wasn't careful, Darcy might get exactly what he wanted out of Elizabeth.

Lizzie mentally scolded herself for letting her thoughts wander in that direction. She didn't even know if Darcy thought of her in that way. He could be just trying to make amends for his obnoxious behaviour.

Her thoughts were interrupted a sudden movement from Will, Lizzie panicked as she sensed him leaning forward, still not able to meet his eyes.

"Are you alright?" He murmured into her ear. Elizabeth exhaled a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding as his hot breath on her ear sent a thrill of excitement through her body. What on earth was wrong with her?

She slid her arms from around his shoulders and rested them on his arms so she could lean back and look at him. _Big mistake_, Elizabeth thought as she felt the hardness of his biceps under her palms. She actually had to restrain herself from squeezing them.

"Fine!" Lizzie finally managed to say, giving him an uneasy smile.

"Am I that bad of a dancer?" He asked, with a grin. "My sister always tells me I should take lessons. She thinks being a good dancer is the way to a woman's heart."

"Your sister sounds like a smart woman," Lizzie said. "It sounds to me like you have a good source of womanly advice in your life! Maybe I can add to the list and give you a few lessons on how to be less obnoxious!"

"She is a very smart woman," he agreed with another smile. His smiles were infuriating. Why was he so unfazed? "And so far, you have to teach me some quality communication skills and also how to be less obnoxious. I'm looking forward to our lessons, Elizabeth."

"You have got to be kidding," Lizzie said, rolling her eyes at him.

"I'm just teasing you," Will said, laughing and pulling her closer to him as a new song came on. "Lighten up, a little!"

Lizzie shut up instantly. The effect of his body on hers was overwhelming and she found herself wrapping her arms around his neck again and pressing her entire body against his. She was sure she felt his body tense under hers before he wrapped both arms around her waist again and she began moving against him, allowing her physical attraction to him take over. She was a grown woman and knew how to control her emotions. There was no harm in a simple dance.

Elizabeth looked up at him, green eyes meeting blue, she detached her arms from around his neck and spun around in his arms, pushing her back against him. His hands immediately went around her waist and rested on her stomach as she began swaying her hips into his. Will reached up to brush her long curls away from one shoulder, his fingertips making contact with her soft skin. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear: "You're breathtaking." His lips made contact with the bare skin on her shoulder and Lizzie shuddered….

A banging at the door woke Lizzie with a start. For a moment, she was confused. Where was she? She looked around and saw that she was in her apartment. She glanced at the clock: 4 am. Had she just dreamt about dancing with Will Darcy?

The banging on the door resumed and Lizzie was suddenly completely awake. She instantly panicked and bolted toward the door. Thousands of scary thoughts raced through her head: it couldn't be Jane, she had texted her earlier and said that she was home. She looked out and saw it was Charlotte. She flung open the door and Charlotte nearly tumbled into Lizzie.

"What on earth happened?!" Lizzie exclaimed, as Charlotte caught herself in the doorway, swaying slight on the spot, her eyes half-closed. Lizzie grabbed her arm and led her to the sofa.

"Got locked out…" She mumbled as she collapsed on the sofa.

"Where is Jane?" I asked.

"She's home…" She said, leaning back on the sofa and closing her eyes completely.

"She didn't open the door?" Lizzie asked, somewhat confused.

"This is the first place I came. No keys. Came here."

"Oookay…" Lizzie said. "What happened to your keys?"

"Must have left them."

"Where?" Lizzie asked, afraid of hearing the answer.

"Collins," Charlotte said, before shutting her mouth and falling into a deep sleep.

Lizzie paused for a second before screaming: "CHARLOTTE LUCAS! WAKE UP THIS INSTANT!"

Charlotte's eyes flew open and stared at Lizzie in shock.

"Collins?!" Lizzie shouted, as she began pacing the room. "Why on earth would you sleep with Collins? Please tell me it has nothing to do with his status, please tell me you haven't sunk that low!"

Charlotte didn't say anything; she just kept staring at Lizzie in disbelief.

"You are so much better than this Charlotte!" Lizzie exclaimed, throwing herself down on the sofa next to her friend.

"Lizzie…" Charlotte said in a scratchy voice. "I'm not a romantic like you…"

"Who cares! You don't have to be a romantic! But please, do not date Collins, I beg you."

Charlotte turned her gaze away from Lizzie and closed her eyes again. "Please, Lizzie, let me just sleep."

Lizzie made a disapproving noise and got up and marched back to her bedroom, closed the door and fell back into her bed, knowing full well that after that intense dream about Will Darcy, and the situation with Charlotte, that she was not going to get anymore sleep tonight.

**A/N It was a dream! *evil laugh* :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi everyone! I'm sooooo sorry for the delay! I was away for more than a month! But I'm back... I apologize for this chapter being so short, but I'm building up to something big. Enjoy, and PLEASE REVIEW! :)**

The weeks after the benefit passed uneventfully. Lizzie, as usual, preoccupied herself with work, taking breaks only to meet with Jane and Charlotte and for occasional visits to her family. Jane and Charlie's relationship grew to the point that it was nauseating to even be in the same room as them and Jane was spending a lot of time at Charlie's penthouse apartment in the Upper East Side. Lizzie was happy for her sister and she approved of Charlie so she had no objections to the match.

Charlotte was a completely different story. Ever since Charlotte had shown up at Lizzie's apartment drunk after sleeping with Collins, their friendship had become a little strained. Needless to say, Charlotte had not listened to Lizzie and continued seeing Collins, who, thankfully, had not followed up on his "business meeting" invitation to Lizzie at the benefit. Lizzie avoided every situation involving Collins, and avoided broaching the subject with Charlotte at all costs. Lizzie wanted what was best for her friend, but she knew that Charlotte was a grown woman and whom she dated was her decision.

Their new boyfriends kept Charlotte and Jane pretty preoccupied, meaning Lizzie had more than enough time to immerse herself in work more than she usually did. This is where Jane found her one Friday night:

"Lizzie!" Jane said breathlessly as she ran into her office. "I knew you would still be here! Why haven't you been answering any of my calls?"

Lizzie looked up from her laptop at Jane, who was wearing a fitted pale pink dress, looking beautiful as usual. "What calls?"

"I have been calling you for the last hour!" Jane said with frustration, her gaze drifting across Lizzie's office before it landed on Lizzie's phone lying on one of the tables Lizzie used for meetings in her office. She walked over and picked it up. "It's on silent!"

"Sorry, Jane," Lizzie said, stretching herself out and glancing at the clock. "I didn't realize what time it was, and I put my phone on silent so I could get some work done. Are you ready to go?"

"We have to be there in 15 minutes!" Jane nearly screeched.

"Jane," Lizzie said calmly. "It's just a 5 minute walk away from the office. Can you relax a little bit? I'm sure Charlie's sister is just as agreeable as he is. She'll love you!"

Jane watched Lizzie as she gathered her things, her eyes wide and frightened. "Lizzie, Charles warned me that Caroline can sometimes be a handful. I'm really nervous."

Lizzie rolled her eyes as she put on her jacket and put her bag over her shoulder. "Well, if she's insufferable then she won't be worth your time. Don't worry Jane, it will be fine."

Jane sighed and nodded as she followed Lizzie out of the office.

"By the way," Jane said as they walked to the elevator. "Will Darcy is going to be there."

Ah, Will Darcy. She hadn't seen him since they had their encounter at the coffee shop. An image of Lizzie's dream of him flashed through her mind before she pushed it back out again. Lizzie was relieved that Jane and Charles were spending more alone time together because it meant that she and Darcy had less of a chance of having to be forced together for more awkward dinners.

"Oh?" Lizzie said disinterestedly.

"I want you to behave," Jane warned her sister. "He only ever tries being civil to you and you insist on being rude to him."

"I'm not rude, Jane! He's just obnoxious and thinks he knows everything because his family and company rule the world, apparently," Lizzie said, rolling her eyes.

"He has only ever been nice to us, and Charles wouldn't be so close to him if he was such a horrible person like you seem to suggest," Jane replied, giving Lizzie a look.

"Ok, Jane," Lizzie said with a sigh, "I promise to be nice to Will tonight."

Jane gave Lizzie her most winning smile as a thanks and Lizzie laughed as they exited the building and made their way to dinner.

...

Lizzie was beginning to wonder if this was some kind of psychological experiment gone wrong. As Lizzie sat there, she couldn't help but look around the restaurant from time to time to see if there were people in lab coats with clipboards studying their table.

Caroline Bingley was Charles' complete opposite. Physically, they were strikingly similar, but that's where the similarities ended. Caroline seemed to have a permanent sneer on her face, especially when she addressed Lizzie, and she was all long legs, fake boobs, and even faker personality. Jane looked like a deer caught in headlights as Caroline told Jane about all the society parties that she was involved in and about Netherfield resorts and all the celebrities that have stayed there.

Lizzie tore her gaze away from Caroline and peered across the table at Darcy, who was now scowling at his menu. Lizzie had been surprised at his cold demeanor when he had greeted her. She knew that she hadn't been the most polite person to talk to, but his attitude toward her had completely changed.

"How is work, Will?" Lizzie asked him, curious to see what had brought this change on.

He glanced up, his expression unchanged. "Busy." He looked back down at the menu.

Lizzie raised an eyebrow. "Not talkative tonight are we?"

He looked up at her again, his blue eyes piercing hers. "No."

Interesting, Lizzie thought. Although she knew Darcy was arrogant, this was a whole new level of rudeness that she had not seen from him before.

"Oh, Elizabeth," Caroline's shrill voice said from beside Will, who had somehow caught the tail end of their conversation. "Will is _such_ a hard worker. He has had a long day, don't pester him with questions!"

Caroline placed a perfectly manicured hand on Will's arm. Will's scowl deepened and his eyes didn't leave the menu. Lizzie smirked at his reaction. It looked like Caroline had a huge crush on Darcy.

"Oh, of course Caroline," Lizzie said, smiling as she turned to face her. "Mr. Darcy is _so_ hard-working, of course I wouldn't expect him to be able to hold a civilized conversation. He is _much _too preoccupied."

Caroline's eyes narrowed and then she sneered before turning back to Jane and Charles.

Lizzie let her gaze shift back to Darcy who had put down his menu and was looking at her intently. She grinned at him and shifted her attention back to making her choice between the lamb and the salmon.

"Civilized conversation?" Darcy finally said, his voice startling her.

"Well yes," Lizzie said, challenging him with a smile. "But of course, a high powered CEO should not be expected to have to socialize after a long day."

"If I recall, Miss Bennet," he said, his eyes flashing with irritation. "The last few conversations I had with you left much to be desired, and not on my part."

Anger bubbled up in Lizzie's stomach and she put down her menu instantly, leaned toward him, her gaze never leaving his. "I find it difficult conversing with people who feel the need to remind others of their level in society."

The corners of Darcy's mouth twitched into an ironic smile. "And I find it difficult talking to people who judge others so easily."

"Then why don't we do each other a favor and just not talk at all?" Lizzie said, practically growling at him.

"Fine by me," he said simply. And then, to Lizzie's annoyance, he pulled out his phone, got up from the table and left to make a call.

_Insufferable_, Lizzie thought to herself.

"Oh, Will is so important," Caroline squealed as her eyes trailed after Darcy's retreating form. "I don't know how he does it all day long… He is just so talented!"

Lizzie snorted as she took a sip of her water and Caroline glared at her.

"What do _you_ know about heading a company, Eliza?" Caroline sneered.

"Caroline," Charles said in exasperation. "Elizabeth and Jane own Longbourne Funds. I told you that."

"Well, I have never heard of it. I bet it's not as important as Pemberley International," Caroline scoffed, took a sip of her drink and went back to ignoring Elizabeth.

Lizzie sighed and rolled her eyes. This was going to be another long evening.

...

"I can't believe how horrible she is," Elizabeth was telling Jane as they made their way home.

"She's not that bad," Jane said, trailing off.

Elizabeth shook her head and gave her sister a smile. "I believe there's a psychological term for what you're feeling, but I'm just going to call it denial."

"Lizzie, I'm sure she just felt intimidated by you or was nervous about meeting me."

"I don't think so. I think she is afflicted with the same pompous problem as Will Darcy," Lizzie paused and grinned. "Wouldn't they make a great couple? She certainly fawns all over him."

Jane laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, Will seems horrified by her."

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, Jane. I'm sure she is the high society type of girl he would go for," Lizzie said.

"Oh, Lizzie, you need to have more faith in people," Jane told her sister as they paused outside their apartment buildings.

"People do nothing to earn my faith in them, so why should I freely give it away?" Lizzie replied with another rolling of her eyes.

Jane sighed but decided against arguing with her sister.

"Good night Jane, I'll see you in the morning," Lizzie said, leaning in to hug her sister.

"Oh, before you go Lizzie," Jane said. "There was something I wanted to talk to you about. Remember how Charles gave away a free vacation for Netherfield Resort's 10th year anniversary in Miami at the fundraiser?"

"How could I forget Bill Collins' victorious squeals?" Lizzie said with a grin.

Jane laughed. "Well, it's actually happening in two weeks and Charles has invited me to go with him!"

Lizzie's mouth fell open. "Wow, Jane. That's amazing! Do you think it's too soon though? Won't this be publicized all over the place?"

"Yes, it will. But Charles wants to make our relationship public," Jane said, her cheeks glowing pink. "And I think it would be a great vacation."

Lizzie smiled and hugged her sister. "That's amazing news! I'm happy for you Janey, this sounds like so much fun."

Jane grinned. "I'm glad you think so, because he told me to invite you too! Please come?"

Lizzie faltered. A week in Miami with Jane and Charles and most likely Caroline? That didn't sound like a vacation to her. She looked into Jane's pleading eyes and sighed. "But what about Longbourne Funds? I need to work…"

"We have closed it for a week in the past! And besides, I never said you couldn't work there! Our clients are mostly remote, remember? We did that on purpose so we could do this once and a while…" Jane pleaded.

Lizzie shook her head and smiled. "Sure, Jane, I'll come… I could use a vacation, and anyway, what's the worst that can happen?"

Jane squealed and hugged her sister. What's the worst that can happen, indeed?


	8. Chapter 8

**Please review! :) Thank you!**

Elizabeth was lugging her suitcase down the hallways of Netherfield resort, seriously questioning why she had even agreed to this trip. The last two weeks had been a nightmare at Longbourne funds and Lizzie was exhausted and still had damage control to do for one of her clients before she could even think about relaxing.

To make matters worse, Collins was here and had invited Charlotte with him. Normally, Lizzie would have been ecstatic to have her best friend here with her, but not under these circumstances. Charlotte and Collins were disgusting and that was all there was to it. To add to her already _splendid_ mood, the clerk at the front desk had given her the most sympathetic look she had ever seen when she had to insist that no, she was not here with a man, and that she would be only needing a singles' room.

Lizzie was grumbling to herself and was so lost in her thoughts that her suitcase got stuck on a corner of the carpet and the next thing she knew, Lizzie was falling unceremoniously to the floor with a large bang.

Lizzie groaned in pain and was beginning to gather herself and her pride off the floor when she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

"Miss Bennet! Are you alright?" She turned around as she was rubbing her elbow to see Richard Fitzwilliam walking toward her with a sympathetic look on his face.

"I'm fine, I'm naturally clumsy, it's nothing new," Lizzie said, still wincing from the pain in her elbow. She gave him a small smile and moved to pick up her suitcase.

_Why was Richard Fitzwilliam here? Did Charles invite other people from Pemberley?_ Her thoughts flashed to a one William Darcy and she silently prayed that someone out there was looking down on her and that he wasn't going to be here this week.

Richard was suddenly at her side and pulling up the suitcase for her. "Here, let me help," he said, straightening her bag and resting it against the wall beside him before looking up and smiling at her. "It's nice to see you again, Miss Bennet."

"Please, you can call me Lizzie," Lizzie told him with a smile. "It's nice to see you too, I have been having a particularly lousy day."

"Ah, well it's a good thing you ran into me," he said, flashing her another dazzling smile, displaying perfect set of white teeth and two dimples. "Why don't I help you bring this bag to your room and then we can go get a drink by the pool? The weather is beautiful today."

Lizzie felt herself blushing under his gaze. Someone this charming could be seriously dangerous. "I don't know…I have a client waiting for a call back from me. This past week has been a complete nightmare…"

"Nonsense! You're on vacation," he said, as he began following her down the hall to her room with her bag in his hand. "I will not take no for an answer."

"Are you going to be a bad influence, Richard?" Lizzie teased as she unlocked the door to her room. She had to refrain from gasping at the sight before her when she opened the door. She now knew why Netherfield Resorts was considered one of the best resort chains in the world.

Her suite was one large open space with high-ceilings. Luxurious, cream-colored furniture was spread out through the room and the largest flat screen TV she had ever seen was attached to the wall right across from the king-sized bed. The best part was the balcony that could be accessed through large patio doors, opening to a spectacular view of the ocean.

"First time at Netherfield?" Richard asked, amused.

His voice startled her out of her reverie. "Yes," she breathed. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah and they went all out for this anniversary party," Richard explained as he lifted her suitcase and placed it on the edge of her bed. "New furniture, new lodges on the beach… you won't be disappointed."

"I can see that," Lizzie said, stepping out onto the balcony, appreciating the breeze and the smell of the ocean. She smiled silently to herself. _Maybe this was a good idea after all, _she thought.

She scanned the beach and saw that several workers on Netherfield's private beach were already setting up for the opening ceremonies this evening. She watched as some children splashed each other in the water and young men and women lounged along the shore.

She smiled again as she sensed Richard step onto the balcony next to her.

"It looks like you got a better view than me," Richard said, scanning the beach. "I see that Charlie is still trying to get on your good side."

Lizzie laughed. "He's already on my good side, he doesn't need to bribe me with good views."

"That's Charlie for you," he said with another easy smile. "Always wanting to please."

Lizzie turned to the beach again and her gaze was caught by a shirtless figure exiting the resort and jogging along the beach away from the hotel. Something about him was vaguely familiar…

"There goes Darcy," Richard said as Lizzie simultaneously recognized the dark hair and broad shoulders of the jogger.

"Hmm," Lizzie hummed, disinterestedly. Looks like her prayers had been left unanswered. _Note to self: do not become religious._ She turned to Richard and gave him a brilliant smile. "I'm up for that drink now."

…

Richard turned out to be a complete riot. Lizzie could not remember a time she had laughed as much as she did that afternoon. She was perched on a bar stool next to the pool, cradling her second drink and listening to a story Richard was telling about Darcy and Charlie when they were in Mexico.

"And then Charlie came screaming out of the bathroom, scaring us shitless… and we found the waiter from the restaurant in there, _completely naked,_ rambling in Spanish about how he was in love with Charlie and how he wanted to go back to New York with him," Richard finished, doubling over and guffawing loudly.

Lizzie clutched her sides, tears forming in her eyes. "What on earth did Charlie do to that poor man to give him the wrong idea?"

"Nothing!" Richard said. "He had completely made up some fantasy in his mind about Charlie. We all know how he's friendly, I guess maybe the waiter got the wrong idea."

"So how did you calm the waiter down?" Lizzie asked, still giggling.

"Well, Darcy did," Richard said. "I was too busy laughing my ass off and Charlie was pretty much traumatized. But Darcy and his level head always trump any conflict, so all he had to do was speak kindly to the man. He has a weird way of calming people down and negotiating like a pro. I think that's why he's so great at being a CEO."

"Really? Darcy? Level-headed?" Lizzie asked, snorting slightly. More like bi-polar.

Richard's face became serious. "Of course, he is the guy we can always count on."

_I highly doubt that_, Lizzie thought to herself just as she spotted Charlie and Jane exit the resort and she waved at them.

"I hope Richard isn't giving you too much trouble, Lizzie," Charlie said with a laugh as they approached. "He has a reputation of bad behavior."

Richard shoved Charlie playfully to the side, nearly knocking him into the pool. "I was just telling Lizzie about that time in Mexico, so I wouldn't go around talking about other people and their bad behavior!"

Charlie's eyes widened and a flush spread across his cheeks. "You know damn well I did not do anything to deserve that!"

Lizzie and Richard burst out laughing, clutching their sides again at the look of mortification on Charlie's face. Jane's gazed shifted between the three of them, looking confused.

"Well Jane…let me tell –" Richard began to explain but was interrupted when Charlie grabbed Richard by the arm with surprising force and shoved him directly into the pool.

Lizzie, Jane and Charlie laughed harder than before, attracting attention from the workers nearby.

"Bingley!" Richard yelled in outrage as he surfaced, spluttering water everywhere.

"What story were you going to tell us Richie-poo?" Charlie mocked from his spot next to the pool.

"Charles!" Jane scolded playfully after she recovered from her laughter. "I want to know the story!"

"What story?" Came a voice from behind them. They all spun around to see none other than Will Darcy standing there, shirtless, sweaty and out of breath.

Lizzie's heart started pounding wildly in her chest as she took in the vision in front of her. His eyes locked with hers and he gave her a half-smile. "Elizabeth, Jane, it's nice to see you again."

"Well, Darce, I'm glad you're here, because I was just about to teach Ritchie-poo here a lesson –" Charlie didn't finish his sentence as Richard had already snuck up behind him and grabbed his ankle, dragging him into the pool with him with a loud splash.

Darcy broke into a grin and started laughing. "You two are out of control when I'm not around."

Lizzie tore her eyes away from Darcy's chest to look at the two men in the pool who had begun splashing each other like a bunch of kids. She smiled and decided that it was time to let go a bit and enjoy this as much as possible. Jane had already stripped down to her bathing suit and joined them.

"A bunch of children, I tell you," Darcy said, shaking his head and smiling.

Was Lizzie to expect sociable, flirtatious Darcy or stone cold, indifferent Darcy this week? Knowing him, his mood was completely unpredictable. She had not seen him since the dinner with Caroline, and she had barely thought about him since then, but Darcy was definitely interesting to Elizabeth. _Darcy the enigma._

"Lizzie! Come join us!" Richard's voice yelled from the pool splashing some water in her direction.

"Are you kidding me? I'm completely dressed!" Lizzie shouted back.

"That didn't stop us…and besides we can easily fix that problem!" He retorted with a wink, earning a scowl from Darcy.

She rolled her eyes and smirked at Darcy. "Is he always a pig?"

"Yes, always," he replied, smiling at her. Ah… sociable Darcy is alive and well. "How are you?"

"Not too bad, work is a little crazy," she said, focusing on his eyes instead of his body. "How are you?"

"Good," he said. "Yeah, same, work is busy."

She nodded and there was a long, awkward pause as they gazed at each other.

"Um… did you have a good run?" Lizzie asked, suddenly feeling very awkward.

"Yes, I like to run out here. I love the smell of the ocean and the breeze. It's a great stress buster," he said, finally looking away to turn toward the pool to watch Richard and Charlie wrestling in the water.

Lizzie nodded. "It's beautiful here."

"It is," Darcy said, turning back to look at her. He ran his hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. "I have some calls to make, but I'll see you later, at the opening dinner?"

"Sure," Lizzie said, relieved that this awkward encounter was almost over.

He nodded, gave her another half-smile and walked toward the hotel. Why did every conversation with him have to be weird and uncomfortable?

"Yo! Lizzie B! What are you waiting for?" Richard's voice was much closer than Lizzie expected. She looked down at the pool, but it was too late: Richard had grabbed a hold of her arm and she was already toppling headfirst into the pool.

…

Darcy heard Lizzie's shriek and a splash as the doors to the hotel closed behind him. He rolled his eyes at the thought of Richard flirting with her. He pushed that unwanted thought aside to mentally scold himself… _of course_ Elizabeth would be here. Charles had told him that he was going to invite Jane, and Darcy should have known that anything involving Jane would automatically include Elizabeth.

This was complicated. Darcy had sworn to forget about her, and he had done his absolute best to not even think about her since that horrible dinner with Caroline. Of course the more Darcy tried to forget, the more he thought of her.

He groaned as he stepped into the elevator. She looked so adorable in her sundress and he had never seen her laugh so much. Her laughter just made her eyes even more dazzling than he remembered. And that conversation? Why had he been so awkward? He had been fine until it was just the two of them and suddenly his mind had gone blank. He was torn between desperately wanting to know her and pushing her away.

He sighed again as he reached his room and unlocked it. He immediately walked to his bed and threw himself on it to stare at the ceiling. He had to decide the best way to go about this. Just because he couldn't be in a relationship it didn't mean he had to be uncivilized, right? Her attitude toward him in the past has not been the best either, but was the right way to do this to push her away?

He rolled over and groaned into his pillow. He would just have to wait and see how the night panned out.


	9. Chapter 9

**Ok guys! Sorry for the lack of updates... but I'm afraid I don't really have time to write anymore and that, combined with a bad case of writer's block might have to make me cut this story short. I'll for sure finish it ... but it will only be a couple of more chapters... so none of the usual drama you will see in these fanfics... let me know what you think!**

**...**

The sun was beginning to set on Netherfield Resort when Lizzie stepped out onto the expansive lawn where the opening dinner was being held. Charlie and his employees had gone all out to make this anniversary celebration exceptionally special. White tables dotted the lawn and people mingled around the bar as waiters scurried around with hors d'oeuvres for the guests. A lot of the guests were turned toward the ocean, admiring the view and breathing in the ocean air. Lizzie smiled and took it all in, deciding that coming here was a good idea after all.

Lizzie turned to look at the bar again and noticed Darcy instantly. He was leaning against the bar in deep conversation with Richard. He was wearing a light grey suit and white shirt with no tie, his collar was open and he was looking perfectly relaxed. He looked like he had just stepped off a GQ photo-shoot.

Lizzie was wearing a strapless white dress that hugged her curves and flowed down to her ankles that had a slit that went up to mid-thigh. Her hair was down, and she had decided not to tame her curls since she thought her hair would actually be appropriate for a beach dinner party.

"Lizzie!" She heard a voice exclaim to her left. She turned to see Charlotte rushing toward her. "Have you seen Bill?"

"No," Lizzie said. "And I'm hoping it stays that way."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I thought we discussed this…"

"We did," Lizzie said simply. Lizzie and Charlotte had had a long discussion after Charlotte had shown up drunk on her doorstep. Lizzie had agreed that although she did not approve of the whole thing, she would refrain from commenting on it.

"Whatever," Charlotte said with a roll of her eyes. "Do you want to join me for a drink at the bar?"

Lizzie looked up at the bar and saw that Darcy and Richard were still there, now joined by Caroline Bingley. Darcy looked like he had swallowed something nasty and Caroline had a perfectly manicured hand resting on his forearm as she laughed at something Richard said.

Darcy glanced up and his gaze met Lizzie's straight on. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. He smiled a bit and gave her a pleading look as he subtly gestured to Caroline. In spite of herself, Lizzie smiled back and shrugged.

"Hellooooo, earth to Lizzie. Are you going to continue this weird non-verbal flirting with Darcy from across the lawn or will you join me for a drink?" Charlotte said, waving her hand in front of Lizzie's face.

Lizzie tore her eyes away from Darcy and blinked at her friend.

"No, thanks," she said, thinking it best to avoid him as much as possible. "I'm going to find Jane. I'll see you later."

Lizzie avoided looking at the bar again and looked around for Jane. She spotted her and Charlie hugging and kissing next the water. She smiled and thought about how great it was that her sister had finally found someone she seemed to connect with so easily after all those failed relationships.

She decided to give Charlie and her sister some space and made her way toward the tables to see where she would be sitting. She finally came across her name card at a table closest to the water and noticed with a mixture of dread and anxiety that Darcy had been placed right next to her, with Jane to her left.

Before she even had a chance to even considering moving the cards around, she heard his deep voice come up from behind her.

"Looks like we're table buddies," Darcy said, causing Lizzie's whole body to react in an extraordinarily weird way as his voice did strange things to her head.

"Lucky me," Lizzie said, trying to maintain a neutral expression as she turned to face him.

He smiled a little and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Come on, I promise not to give you such a hard time."

He looked so apologetic that Lizzie felt her expression soften immediately. "I'm sure we can get along if we try a little bit."

His face broke into a grin. "Careful, Elizabeth, you're sounding particularly optimistic. I think our interactions have left much to be desired lately."

"And whose fault is that?" She responded hotly.

He raised his hands defensively. "See, I'm already starting off on the wrong foot… well, if I'm being honest, it was pretty two-sided wouldn't you say?"

Lizzie opened her mouth to protest but his sincere gaze stopped her from protesting.

She sighed and decided to make peace with it. "You're right, it was always two-sided."

"How about we start over?" He said, sticking his hand out for Lizzie to shake it. "I'm William Darcy, occasional jerk, but a generally good person. You are?"

Lizzie laughed and shook his hand. "Elizabeth Bennet, occasionally stubborn but generally very easy-going and not so temperamental."

"Lovely to meet you, Elizabeth," he said. "You sound like someone I will get along with famously."

Lizzie smiled and rolled her eyes. "Let's just sit down, I think dinner is almost ready."

...

"So then Will threw himself out of the tree and landed right on his arm. He was out for the whole summer," Richard was saying as the table roared with laughter.

"You're laughing now," Will said bitterly. "But if you knew how painful it was then, you wouldn't find it so funny."

"Trust me Will, it's hilarious now and it was hilarious then too. I have never seen someone so afraid of a cat," Richard was saying as he continued laughing with the rest of the table.

"How was I supposed to know it was a cat?!" Will protested. "All I felt was something brush against my leg and I reacted impulsively."

"Oh, Will, I don't find it funny," Caroline simpered beside Will. "I'm so glad you weren't hurt more than just a broken arm."

Lizzie rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her drink. She had never seen someone so obviously try to seduce a man before. Caroline reeked of desperation and Will seemed completely repulsed by her. It was even more annoying because every time Will leaned toward Lizzie to start a conversation, Caroline would find a way to interrupt them.

"Lizzie climbed trees all the time as a kid, too," Jane was saying. "She used to take a book with her up there in the summers and spend hours there. It was always so difficult to find her."

"But I never fell out of one," Lizzie pointed out, smirking at Will.

"Maybe one day you can teach me how to properly climb a tree, then," Will said, winking at Lizzie.

"Ah, I can, but it takes a lot of skill and a lot of practice to master the art," Lizzie said.

"I'm sure with your help, I can master anything," Will said leaning toward her slightly as conversation continued around the table. Lizzie shivered slightly at his closeness, very aware that he was flirting with her.

Trying to hide the flush creeping up her cheeks, Lizzie said: "Climbing trees was my favorite thing to do, there was a park near my house and I think I must have climbed every single one at some point or another."

"So what inspired you to climb trees so much?" Will asked.

"It was mostly to get away from the stress of what was happening at home," Lizzie said quietly, staring into her drink. "You know, money problems and such."

Will was silent, but she could feel his gaze on her.

"Hey, you did well for yourself," Will said, his hand brushing her shoulder momentarily. "You should be proud of that. You have accomplished so much."

She looked up into his eyes and saw only warmth and admiration in them.

"So does this mean I have received the seal of approval from the great William Darcy?" Lizzie said with a smirk.

Will matched her smirk. "I wouldn't say that, you still have a long way to go…"

"Will," Caroline said in that high pitched voice of hers. "Do you want to dance?"

Lizzie glanced at Caroline and noticed that her eyes were shooting daggers at her. Will was opening his mouth when Richard suddenly interrupted them from across the table.

"Hey, Will, I see John at the bar. Should we go say hi?"

Will looked exceptionally relieved. "Of course," he said. "I'll be back soon," he whispered to Lizzie.

Lizzie watched them walk toward the bar, feeling like her insides were being twisted into a giant knot. He was being nice to her, and they had so much in common, and he was really so attractive it was borderline painful to refrain from staring at him constantly.

Lizzie shook her head and tried to regain control of her emotions as she took another sip of her drink.

"You know, he will never be with you," Caroline said as she watched Lizzie sit there in silence.

"Excuse me?" Lizzie said, looking at Caroline.

"His family needs him to be with someone who has connections. And you're a nobody," she sneered.

"First of all, Caroline," Lizzie said, her voice lowering to a threatening level. "There is nothing between Will and I. Second of all, if what you say is true, I don't think all the connections in the world will compensate for your horrible personality and that permanent sneer on your face. Maybe go work on your people skills, learn some compassion and get a damn life and then come talk to me about connections and why they matter."

Lizzie enjoyed the way Caroline's face twisted into an expression of shock and enjoyed it even more when Caroline stood up from the table and stomped away across the lawn.

'That got rid of her," Lizzie muttered to herself as she went back to finishing her drink. Luckily, the other members of the table were too absorbed in their conversations to notice what had happened.

Lizzie excused herself and decided to take a walk along the beach to clear her mind. She had never met such an insufferable person in her life. What frustrated Lizzie the most is that Caroline really believed that she was superior to Lizzie. Maybe in terms of connections, she was. Lizzie wasn't going to deny that connections were a huge part of success, especially in the world of business.

Lizzie sighed. It seemed that no matter how successful she was, she kept getting pushed back down because of her family background. Sometimes she really felt like she was living in Victorian times. Some things never change…

"Are you okay?" She heard a familiar voice behind her. Lizzie had walked to the edge of the shore and was staring out into the horizon. The sun had completely set and except for the lamps along the beach and the stars, it was completely dark.

She turned around and saw Darcy standing there. He had removed his blazer and his sleeves were rolled up to show his forearms. His hair was windswept and he had never looked more desirable.

"Yeah," Lizzie said, turning back to look at the ocean so she didn't have to look at him. "I'm just enjoying the evening."

"I saw Caroline storm back to her room, what did you do to her?" Darcy said with some amusement as he stepped closer.

Lizzie smiled at the ocean. "What makes you think I did something?"

"Oh, I don't know," he said. "Wild guess?"

He was standing next to her now, close enough for the smell of his cologne to mix with the scent of the salt water in the air. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and saw that his hands were shoved into his pockets and he was rocking back and forth on his heels slightly.

"Well, you guessed right," Lizzie said, turning to look at him. "She said some pretty nasty things, I don't know how she and Charlie are related."

He smiled, still looking out toward the ocean. "I have been wondering the same things since I met Charlie."

"Well, she's nice enough to you," Lizzie said sarcastically. "I'm sure she never said anything mean to you."

He turned to look at her and cocked his head to one side. "You're right, she hasn't. But I have seen her interact with everyone else and know exactly what she's capable of."

"Lucky you," Lizzie said.

"Come on, cheer up," Will said, nudging her with his elbow. "I didn't come here to talk about Caroline, I came here to ask you if you wanted to dance."

"Are you saying that dancing with you will cheer me up? You're so vain," she said with a smile.

"Well, you have never danced with me. So prepare to be amazed at the effect it will have on you," Will said as he grabbed her hand and began leading her to the dance floor. "And there's a big difference between self awareness and vanity."

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Of course you have a ridiculous answer to everything."

"I learn from the best," he said, winking at her again and pulling her against him as they made it to the dance floor.

Their sudden closeness gave Lizzie flashbacks of the dream she had all those weeks ago of dancing with Darcy. She blushed thinking about how the dream had ended.

They began swaying to the music and Lizzie looked down at their feet to hide her blush. His hand moved toward her lower back and he pressed his palm there, bringing her even closer.

"So," he said, seemingly unfazed by their closeness. "How do you feel about Oscar Wilde?"

"Discussing authors. Great conversation topic while dancing," Lizzie teased, looking up into his blue eyes. "He's great, huge fan of his plays, his short stories though, not so much. How about you?"

"I agree, his social commentary is just fantastic," he said, smiling down at her.

"I guess that must hit particularly close to home for you," Lizzie said, not being able to resist the dig.

He raised his eyebrows and gave her an amused expression. "Exactly why I enjoy it so much."

"So you agree that the importance of social order in your world is ridiculous?" Lizzie asked, surprised.

"Of course it is, Elizabeth," Darcy said matter-of-factly. "Do you think I believe in all that stuff?"

"I don't know, do you?" She challenged. "It seems to me that you don't mind it at all."

"Minding and tolerating are two different things," he said, his lips moving into a grim line. "I stay out of the public eye as much as possible, I avoid gossip, and I avoid any social functions like the plague unless Charlie forces me to go along for business reasons."

Lizzie frowned. "I guess I just assumed…"

"I know you did," he said, giving her a soft smile. "But you have to realize that Caroline is the norm in my world. Surely you can see the difference between her and I?"

"Now I do," Lizzie said, feeling ashamed that she assumed he was an uptight snob. "But, I still think you're completely wrong when it comes to fundraising."

"Fair enough, you're entitled to your own opinion. But just know that I give back in other ways…" Darcy said, drifting off.

Lizzie thought about the first time she had seen him, how he had helped that homeless person who was being abused outside Pemberley's offices.

"I know...I saw you," Lizzie blurted out.

He looked at her. "You saw me... doing what?"

"Giving money to that homeless person who was being abused by that guy at the newsstand."

His face broke into a grin. "Ha! So you _do_ remember!"

Lizzie's face flushed red. "It's kind of hard to forget seeing a homeless man abused…"

"Of course," Will said with a knowing smile on his face.

Lizzie opened her mouth to scold him for being conceited but was interrupted by Richard who ran up to them, and, already partly drunk, screamed that it was time for shots.

...

Hours later, Lizzie and Will stumbled up the steps back into the hotel.

"Jane and I didn't talk for a week," Lizzie was telling a laughing Will. "That was the first and last time we fought over a guy."

"I can't picture you and Jane fighting," Will said. "Well, I can definitely see how you would be fighting, but Jane is way too sweet."

"Hey!" Lizzie said as she shoved him playfully. "You make me sound like a horrible person."

"I'm only joking," he said with a laugh that almost threw Lizzie off balance. "Maybe…" he added.

"Ok fine, maybe I'm tough to get along with," Lizzie said as she crossed her arms and pretended to sulk when they got into the elevator.

Will smiled and stepped toward her, prying her arms off her chest. "You're not tough to get along with at all," he said, as he gazed down at her, his mouth playful but his eyes serious.

They fell silent as the elevator doors closed and began inching its way upward. His hands were still resting on her arms and his closeness was making Lizzie dizzy. Her head was buzzing with alcohol, music, laughter and adrenaline. His smile faded as his gaze pierced hers.

Lizzie dropped her gaze and stared at the open collar of his shirt, imagining what it would be like to press her lips there. She shivered involuntarily.

"Are you cold?" Will asked, his voice now so low that it was almost a whisper.

Lizzie shook her head, still staring at his neck.

"I'm fine," she said, her voice coming out sounding like a croak. She cleared her throat nervously and tried not to focus on the feeling of his hands on her bare arms.

His thumbs began caressing the skin on her arms and his body seemed to be gravitating even more closely by the second she raised her eyes towards his, his expression now completely serious. She was startled by the amount of feeling she saw in them, she had never seen such expressive eyes in her life.

They were interrupted by the elevator doors opening with a loud _bing!_

Will seemed to be startled by the interruption and let go of his grasp on Lizzie. She felt the loss immediately.

"Um… this is our floor," Lizzie said awkwardly as she gestured outside the elevator.

Darcy gave her a small smile. "Great observation."

They stepped out of the elevator in silence and walked slowly down the hall. Darcy's room was before Lizzie's and they stopped there.

"This is me," Will said, taking out his key and turning to look at Lizzie. "Thanks for the great company tonight. I'm glad we were able to get along for once."

Lizzie smiled, really just wishing that he would touch her again. "Me too, it was a pleasure to meet the real you tonight, Mr. Darcy."

He grinned and gave an exaggerated bow. "And you, Miss Bennet."

"Good night," Lizzie said, laughing.

"Good night Lizzie," he said softly. The sound of him using her nickname brought shivers down her spine and she froze in place. He stared at her. She stared back at him. They seemed completely motionless for a few seconds, gazing steadily at each other.

Finally, Lizzie stepped closer to him and said: "Say that again."

He didn't hesitate. He immediately closed the gap between them and wrapped one arm around her, pushing her against him and pressing her against the wall. The other hand brushed her cheek, pushing her hair away from her face as he bent his mouth against her ear and whispered "Lizzie…" His breath against her neck sent her heart into overdrive and she moaned involuntarily.

"Will…" She whispered back.

That was all the encouragement he needed as his lips crashed down on hers. His lips caressed hers slowly and passionately. Lizzie felt electric shocks shoot through her body as he pressed her against the wall and caressed the back of her neck. Lizzie had never felt more overwhelmed in her life, she wanted more and she didn't want it to stop.

She moved her hands and rested them on his shoulders and tugged at his collar to pull him closer to her as his tongue licked her bottom lip, making her shudder. His smell was intoxicating and she needed to be closer to him, she needed it like her life depended on it.

He released his lips and began trailing kisses down her cheek to her jaw to her neck and all along her exposed shoulders. She shivered and panted as his arms circled around her waist again.

"Lizzie…" he whispered again as his lips moved back to hers.

"Don't stop," she managed to whisper back as her hands moved up his chest, and began playing with one of the buttons.

Will broke their kiss and moaned a little. "We're in the hallway…"

"I don't care," she responded as the button gave way.

"Wait," he murmured huskily. He grabbed her hand and with the other, he unlocked his door in one fluid motion.

The next thing she knew, Lizzie was in Will's room. The patio door was open and the salty night air was wafting into the room.

Will had dropped the keys on the counter and had turned to look at her. He was breathing hard and looking at her in a way she had never been looked at by a man before. She saw deep affection and raw desire in his eyes and it made her weak at the knees.

Lizzie walked slowly toward him and Will watched her approach, a small smile playing on his lips. She reached up and put her hands on his shoulders to lift herself up and caress his lips with hers. He wrapped his arms around her again, pressing her against him. She lowered her mouth to kiss his jaw and then down to his neck, where she kissed him and nibbled at the skin there. He drew in a sharp breath and wrapped his arms more tightly around her waist as his hands began playing with the zipper of her dress.

"You're breathtaking," Darcy whispered as he began kissing her jaw. "Are you sure you want to...?"

"I want to," she said. "You don't want to?"

He smiled and shook his head, almost as though she had said the craziest thing in the world. "I have been wanting this for a long time."

"So why the hesitation?" She asked, her body pulsing with her attraction to him.

He sighed as he stroked the skin on her shoulders. "I want to be sure this is what you want. I care about you, Lizzie…"

"I care about you, too. And I know this is what I want more than anything."

He broke into a smile. "If you insist, Ms. Bennet..."


End file.
